Warm-up game not needed during India tour: Australia coach.
Sydney: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald is confident that their "no tour game" policy on overseas tours will serve them well in the four match Test series in India in February-March. Australia is unlikely to play any tour matches ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy and would arrive in India just a week before the first Test, beginning on February 9.
"No tour game is something we've done in the last few series, before embarking on overseas tours," McDonald was quoted saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
"We feel as though we don't need that match practice as such. We're going to go to India about a week out from the first game. We didn't want to press for too much longer, in terms of the preparation.'
A similar approach was successful when they won a three-match series in Pakistan with a 1-0 margin in March last year. "We feel as though seven days is ample time to get ready and to make sure we maintain freshness through- out the whole four Test match series," McDonald said.
This time, Australia have planned a three-day camp in Sydney for all players not involved in the Big Bash League finals before embarking on the grueling tour.
"We can be creative in our own conditions. We've done it before with the Pakistan build-up in Melbourne. Dusting up wickets. Fit for purpose. Working with the local grounds men who really help us in and around the country. We feel as though we can get as close to that as possible without necessarily having a practice game."