Cricket Australia is blaming the push for the Big Bash League (BBL 8) as they feel it hindered the Australian players’ preparations for the India tour for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series after they lost to the hosts by an inning and 132 runs in the first match in Nagpur.
Australia was in no competition to India after their media and former cricketers had hyped the Nagpur pitch to such an extent that their batters were under immense pressure that the surface would turn from day one.
The Pat Cummins-led side made 177 and 91 in two innings with their second innings lasting one session and no one bettered Marnus Labuschagne’s score of 49 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked 7 wickets, while Ravi Ashwin took 8 wickets, with both taking fifers respectively, and for Australia, Todd Murphy took 7/124 on his Test debut.
Comfortably The Shortest Preparation Time We’ve Ever Had For A Tour Of India: Cricket Australia Source
Pat Cummins and co. arrived in India on February 1, ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series as well as the three ODIs that will follow in March. They made the collective decision to skip tour matches following a forgettable experience in 2017.
They had a four-day came in Alur grounds in Bengaluru to prepare for the turning pitches and even hired Baroda spinner Mahesh Pithiya as his bowling action resembled that of Ravichandran Ashwin.
However, sources in Cricket Australia have collectively felt that prioritizing Big Bash League before the Test series is what hindered the preparations. The 2022-23 Big Bash League (BBL) was staged from December 13 to February 4, ending with the Perth Scorchers claiming their fifth title.
“There was a big push for the Big Bash. It was comfortably the shortest preparation time we’ve ever had for a tour of India,” a source in CA told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
The likes of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith featured heavily in the latter half.
Australians had expected a rank turner but were surprised with the pitch on offer. Australian batter Peter Handscomb admitted that they were tricked by how the pitch eventually behaved.
India and Australia will now clash in the second Test in Delhi from February 17 onwards.