Sunil Gavaskar emphasizes the importance of first-class cricket in preparing for Tests. “The Ranji Trophy had started and it would have been perfect timing for the batters. To get into the groove for the Test series by playing a couple of games. ” Gavaskar wrote in an email.
Team India improved their performance in the second Test of the ongoing series against England. After losing the first Test, the hosts staged a remarkable comeback in the second Test to tie the series. However, according to former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar, some issues lingered.
During the second innings of the second Test. India appeared to be on track to score 450 runs or more against England. However, a batting collapse limited the hosts to a target of 399 runs. In the similar line, Sunil Gavaskar believes that youth should spend more time playing first-class cricket. Because there are many players with limited domestic experience.
“The hitters’ failure to score significant runs also demonstrates how crucial it is for both batsmen and bowlers to play several first-class games before a Test match series in order to prepare for the longer format of the game. “The Ranji Trophy had begun, and it would have been ideal for the batters to warm up for the Test series by playing a couple of games,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Mid-Day.
The Lodha panel deemed it mandatory to grant first-class status to states that were not part of the Ranji Trophy: Gavaskar
“Other of the performances in the Ranji Trophy, particularly after the Lodha panel changes. Made it essential to grant first-class status to other states that were not part of the Ranji Trophy circuit, have been mind-blowing. While the intention was to spread the game throughout the country, what was overlooked was that all of those states were just not prepared to compete at that level,” Gavaskar said.