In over 30 years of watching the game, never have I seen a farce enacted than the tour game between India and Leicestershire. It really left me so angry that why do the ECB and the Leicestershire county even bothered to organise such a game? When will the Indian management realise the value of a proper tour game just before an important series? That too, this time, it is the decider between India and England. The game was so ridiculous that it was devoid of any convention. I wonder whether Rohit Sharma ended up captaining both the teams. What a farce the India tour game was?
Indian do not treat side games seriously
Indians are notorious for not treating tour games seriously. I have seen first-class games where the entire squad have played. 14-a side and 16-a side are quite common when the Indian team tours abroad. It is usually justified by reasoning that since there are only one or two games and that most of the regulars need to play, the entire squad is involved. Ofcourse, this reasoning is nonsensical. However, what happened at Leicestershire over the last 4 days was beyond nonsensical. It was downright outrageous. www.espncricinfo.com rightly termed is an open nets session and they had hit the nail on the head. I think that website was quite diplomatic in its assessment because it was beyond that.
A few years ago, when India went to South Africa chasing history, Kohli and Shastri decided to cancel the only practice game that was scheduled. Ofcourse, it was the stupid BCCI who had scheduled the entire tour after a Sri Lanka tour of India that finished barely a week before the first test but to cancel the entire practice game citing that tour games do not offer any benefit, was insensitive to say the least. India was soundly thrashed in the first and second tests.
They do not realise the benefits of such games and that too in the SENA countries. Within the sub-continent, it is absolutely understandable. Afterall, the conditions are the same everywhere and you do not really need a tour game. However, it is not the same once the team ventures outside the sub-continent. This is where tour games assume added significance. It will be helpful to play a couple of first-class games even before a test series in West Indies. The SENA countries are much more stronger than the West Indies and hence, practice games must be mandatory.
I did not expect this from Dravid
Now, of all the cricketers, it is Rahul Dravid who failed to see the benefits of a proper and intense practice game. Dravid is someone who has known the plan things in minute detail. The way he progressed through international cricket and became one of the best Indian batsmen ever, is a testimony to that fact. The innumerable number of battles in which he was involved, against the best bowlers of his time and the hours and hours of concentration during all those battles, will forever be etched in the minds of those who had the privilege of watching.
Before the tour, he was recorded as wanting an intense practice game. I was really hoping that after 2 months of IPL and further 2 weeks of South Africa T20, the Indian players, who are short of red-ball match practice, will be unleashed against Leicestershire and in the process will be in decent form ahead of the decisive test. With Dravid on hand to analyse the mistakes that are likely to have crept into batting and bowling, it could have been ironed out during the game. Dravid being a thorough professional would not have wanted anything less than high intense game. However, I was wrong. Dravid certainly disappointed in treating an important tour game as free for all.
How was the game reduced to a farce?
To begin with, on the first day itself, as many as 4 Indians were playing for Leicestershire. Pujara, Pant, Prasidh and Bumrah. Right at the outset, the impression that the Indians gave everyone was that this game is nothing more than a hindrance. They would rather be somewhere else than at the ground playing an English county team. There were 16 Indians involved in the game. It reflects poorly on the team management that they do not know their playing eleven 3-4 days ahead of the test. It must have been the best possible eleven who are likely to be playing on July 1, who must have played the game.
The game descended into further pandemonium in the last 2 days. At one point, Indians were batting and bowling at the sametime.
Prasidh Krishna bowled for both Indians and Leicestershire
Jasprit Bumrah bowled for both Indians and Leicestershire
Hanuma Vihari batted for both Indians and Leicestershire
Shubman Gill batted for both Indians and Leicestershire
If this is not farce, I do not know what is.
I really pity the spectators, if any, who had driven down to the ground to watch this buffoonery. How would the Leicestershire captain reacted? I will be interested to know his views on this utter chaos.
Why did ECB & Leicestershire accept this?
If I had been with Leicestershire management or with the ECB, I would not have accepted such a travesty. If I have to, then I will ensure that the England team is helped as much as possible. Bumrah would have bowled more than 40 overs so that he remains tired before the decisive test and I would not have accepted for Vihari or Shubnam Gill to bat for Leicestershire and thereby ensuring that they remain low on confidence.
Conclusion to what a farce the India tour game was?
India is leading the series 2-1. A win or draw will ensure that they win the series and gain valuable points and progress in the WTC cycle. A series win in England are not that easy. The last was in 2006 under the same Dravid. One would expect him to understand the sacrifices needed to win in England and towards that end, plan for a proper and fierce game but it wasn’t to be. It remains to be seen whether this missed opportunity comes back to bite.