Sourav Ganguly is confident that the players competing for the World Test Championship (WTC) final will be able to handle the workload, as there is a brief period of rest between the finish of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) and the start of the grand finale. India clinched their place in the showdown with a 2-1 victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, and they will meet Australia in an epic showdown at The Oval from June 7th.
“I think players should be fine. I don’t see a problem. Yes, there’s a lot of cricket. The scheduling is like that. That’s the way it is. Players will play. I really don’t see a problem. When it comes to the World Test Championship final, they anyway get 10-day breaks after IPL. I think they will manage.”
Sourav Ganguly
Team India’s success has been hindered by a slew of injuries recently. Despite the absence of pivotal players such as Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah, the team is still set to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Though Ganguly acknowledges that franchise-based tournaments are adding to the already crowded cricketing calendar, he is certain that no event will take precedence over the WTC. He said:.
“It’s a challenge to prepare the international Future Tours Programme (FTP). But I don’t think you can stop leagues from going around the world. Test cricket will always be the best format of the game. I don’t see any league being as important as the WTC final.”
India’s batting approach has changed in T20s – Ganguly
Team India’s batting plan for the T20 World Cup 2022 was harshly criticized. Despite adopting an aggressive approach prior to the tournament, when the competition began, they appeared to have reverted to a more conservative style of play. Ganguly suggested that due to their extensive batting talent, Team India should have been confident in taking on aggressive strategies right away. He said:
“India have to play aggressively, especially in T20s. They have the team to do that. A team which sometimes has Axar Patel batting at No. 9 must play aggressively at the top. Pandya batting at No. 6 and Jadeja at No. 7, there’s too much depth.”
“It’s about adjusting to the pressure, knowing your game, and batting according to your game. Indian cricket will always have talent and a big pool. It’s the ones who are more hungry go to the next level. It’s about how you prepare for the big tournaments.” He continued.
Team India last won an ICC tournament in 2013 in the form of the Champions Trophy.