Gavaskar's words came after India lost the second Test in Adelaide inside 3 days.
Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain, has urged Indian cricketers to use the two extra days after the early finish in Adelaide for practice, emphasizing the importance of not wasting crucial time fine-tuning their abilities.
Gavaskar criticized the practice of "optional training sessions" and urged players to devote more fully to the team's cause.
Gavaskar's advice to Rohit Sharma's squad came after Australia defeated India by 10 wickets in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Sunday. The second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test finished in two and a half days, with India dismissed for less than 200 in both innings.
Mitchell Starc starred with 8 wickets including career-best 6/48, while Pat Cummins took a fifer in the second innings. The bowlers also struggled, with the team's over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah highlighted by Travis Head's blistering counterattack, which helped Australia score a match-winning first-innings total of 357.
Gavaskar stated that India now has two extra days to acclimatize and prepare for the conditions in Brisbane, where the third Test is set to begin on December 14th.
"Look at the remainder of the series as a three-match series. Forget it was a five-Test series. What I would like this Indian team to do is use the next couple of days for practice. It’s very important. You can’t be sitting in your hotel room or wherever you’re going because you have come here to play cricket," Sunil Gavaskar was quoted by India Today.
"You don’t have to practice the whole day. You can practice a session in the morning or afternoon, whichever time you choose, but do not waste these days. You would have been here playing a Test match if the Test match were to go on for five days.
You have to get yourself that much more time to get into the rhythm because you have not got the runs. Your bowlers haven’t got the rhythm. There are others too who need time in the middle," he added.
Gavaskar also stated that he detested optional practice sessions, stating that decisions regarding them should be made by the captain and coach, not the players. He emphasized that younger players should be especially willing to spend more time in the center. He also praised Virat Kohli's determination to hit the nets on Day 3 of the Adelaide Test.
"This optional practice session is something that I don’t believe. The decision for optional training should rest with the captain and the coach. The coach should say, ‘Hey, you hit 150, you don’t need to come to practice.
Hey, you bowled 40 overs in the match, you don’t need to come to practice.’ They should not be given the option. If you give the players that option, a lot of them, especially the certainties, will say, ‘No, I am going to stay in my room.’ And that’s not what Indian cricket needs.
Indian cricket needs people who are totally dedicated to their cause. It’s an honor and privilege to be playing for India,” Gavaskar said.
"I counted the number of days they will be here. It’s 57 days in Australia. Out of those 57, if you count out five matches, then you are left with 32 days, two matches for the PM XI. Thirty days, they were going to get off. They had one extra day off in Perth, now two in Adelaide.
My request to them is to please come and practice. Again, Bumrah doesn’t have to practice. If Rohit and Virat don’t have to practice, that’s fine, because they are experienced players. Let the others come out and practice," he added.
India and Australia will now clash in the third Test in Brisbane on December 14.
(India Today inputs)