Former India captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has advised the BCCI to make sure that all Indian players regularly play domestic multi-day matches. This suggestion came amidst growing concerns about Indian batters’ ability to handle spin.
Recent home series losses to South Africa and New Zealand have put India's Test team in a challenging situation, as opposition spinners have shown their weaknesses against the turning ball.
The Indian team has also undergone a major transition following the retirements of Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma. The recent home Test series loss to South Africa further exposed young Indian batters’ inability to play against spin as South Africa spinners outbowled their Indian counterparts.
According to Kapil, the scarcity of domestic cricket played by well-known players is a contributing factor in India's difficulties against spin. Regular multi-day matches, according to the former captain, will help the veteran players hone their talents and provide new cricket players with an opportunity to learn from them.
"Playing domestic cricket is very important. The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is that the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play multi-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from the top players," Kapil said at the launch event of Bengaluru Blasters ahead of the inaugural JITO Premier League.
Kapil also suggested that India's difficulties against spin in Test cricket might be due to their tremendous workload in white-ball cricket. He emphasized that the team must find a solution because the lengthier format necessitates a new strategy.
"In recent times, India has not been the best against spin bowling. They play too many T20s and ODIs. Test matches are a different ball game. I hope they can put their heads together," he added.
Kapil Dev was also concerned about the injuries and workload of Indian fast bowlers, given the demands of T20 cricket. He stated that the players must know their physical limits, and the BCCI should also monitor the workload of their best fast bowlers to reduce the risk of injuries.
“One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body. Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batter. The BCCI should look into how much workload can be given to fast bowlers,” Kapil said here on Tuesday.
India will next play Tests in Sri Lanka with the two-match series starting on August 15.
(ANI inputs)
