CHENNAI: After a thrilling win on the third day of the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak may just have indicated a change in way forward towards tour preparations.
Usually India stick to intra-squad matches and prolonged training sessions, but this time they played a three-day warm-up which India won by six wickets. India chased down 207 in their practice match at Colombo's Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground to bolster their preparations for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 15.
"I think it was very good, very productive, because if you practice four more days, I don't think it'll be as good as the practice match," Kotak said in a video shared by the BCCI. "... because the bowlers bowled with good intensity, (the) batters batted and we actually tried that everyone - even the bowlers get to bat - and all the bowlers get enough loading what is required. So, it has been very good."
Kotak praised the efforts with the bat from Gurnoor Brar, who made a quickfire 38 not out in the first innings, and Mohammed Siraj, who smacked four sixes towards the end. "I would say Gurnoor and Siraj hitting sixes. but I think Devdutt (Padikkal) batted really well. The way Gurnoor also bowled, and our fast bowlers put a lot of effort on the wicket where there was nothing," Kotak said.
"It was all in all a very good practice match. But for me, Devdutt's innings (142 not out) was also very good," he added.
The batting coach's comments come at a time when India are usually seen to prefer training sessions over warm-up matches when overseas. With the next tour set to be in New Zealand, it will be interesting to see what the BCCI and Indian team does before the two Tests in terms of preparation.