After the conclusion of the Indian Premier League 2023, now team India will look to face Australia in the World Test Championship Final which will be played from June 7 at Oval. Before this mega clash, the former Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar talked about the biggest challenge for Rohit Sharma & company. Gavaskar said that it will be so difficult for the team to adapt to the transition of Test Cricket from T20 cricket.
Gavaskar feels that the majority of players in the Indian team are more familiar with playing in shorter formats of the game. However, he pointed out that Cheteshwar Pujara stands out as someone who has experience in the longer format due to his participation in the English County Championship. This experience could be valuable for the team India in English conditions.
During an interview with Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar said,”The biggest test will be the fact that just about everybody will be coming out of a T20 format, and test cricket is a longer format. So, I think that’s going to be the big challenge. They have only Cheteshwar Pujara who has been playing in the English County Championship, so he will be the only guy who has played the longer format in these conditions, so that’s going to be the big challenge for them.”
Gavaskar also discussed the opportunity for Ajinkya Rahane to make his mark in the World Test Championship. Rahane had an impressive performance in the IPL 2023, and Gavaskar believes that this form can translate well into the Test format. The World Test Championship is the biggest opportunity for Rahane to solidify his place in the men’s Test team.
He further added, “The biggest test will be the fact that just about everybody will be coming out of a T20 format, and test cricket is a longer format. So, I think that’s going to be the big challenge. They have only Cheteshwar Pujara who has been playing in the English County Championship, so he will be the only guy who has played the longer format in these conditions, so that’s going to be the big challenge for them.”
