India to play shorter formats before Tests on overseas tours

India toured South Africa in January this year but they landed on African shores only 8 days before the first Test started and as many had predicted they were massively underprepared. India also decided not to play a practice game and instead decided to take their own practice bowlers with them to practice in South African conditions. That reflected in the results as the Test team lost the series 2-1 after losing the very first two games. 

However, having learnt a harsh lesson, India have now decided to play the shorter formats before the Test series on overseas tours. It would help the team in getting used to the foreign conditions better. Johri said that the issue has been sorted after they received feedback from the team management. India’s tour to England is already planned in a way in which they play T20Is and ODIs before the 5-match Test series gets underway. 

“Based on the feedback that we have got from the team management we had some serious discussions. What we are not doing is that in the summer India is going to England (and) before the first Test match actually starts, India would be in England for over a month and the team would get acclimatised to the conditions. India will play the shorter format first and then come to Test matches,” Johri was quoted saying by the Indian Express. 

Johri also said that when the Indian team travels to Australia next winter, they will play the shorter formats first. There has been an agreement between Cricket Australia (CA) and the BCCI. 

“In the next winter, India will be in Australia and again what we have agreed with the Cricket Australia is that the Indian team will first play the shorter formats and then play the Test matches. So the team would get time to get used to the conditions before they go into serious Test cricket,” he added.

He also revealed that for the first time we will have day wise and date wise calendar of the Indian team’s programme five years in advance. 

“There is a four-year FTP (Future Tours Programme) cycle that we follow and these changes we have managed to do in the current cycle. But the BCCI has now negotiated that the FTP cycle of Indian team from 2019-2023, and every tour, this issue (lack of preparation time) will be addressed.”

“For the first time you will have day wise and date wise calendar of the Indian team’s programme five years in advance. So you will exactly know over the next five years where you will be,” Johri signed off.