by sussexpob » Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:13 pm
I dont think you can simultaneously fault India's prep while earlier in the week inferring the facilities provided for this match were fair and adequate. The fact is they flew in from the IPL (not alone, lots of foreign players are in it too) after hard isolation, straight into another hard lockdown scenario. Without access to getting out the hotel and onto afield proper, I'd imagine they were never quite fully able to get up to bowling speed and fitness. Gym work is not the same preparation and only takes you far enough ,and as we have seen this week at times in this tour India have not even had any fitness facilities at all. How can we expect premier sportspeople to be at the top of their craft without the tools to be at the top of their game? I think these sorts of injury ravages are pretty natural in an environment were teams are under greater stress and who are limited in how they prepare.
Ok, you could fault the schedule but I dont think that is fair either. The BCCI wasnt going to cancel the IPL. This bilateral series was never going to be cancelled after zero international revenue for both teams for 12 months, both boards would have sent out people who they found volunteering in the street who dont even know what a bat is rather than consider another financial shelling. The series was going to happen, and to make it happen it had to be based around the smallest travel footprint possible. These meant condensed matches, no breaks, tough schedules. The player would probably prefer playing everyday than a more spaced out tour with lots of down time in isolated circumstances.
This is cricket in covid I guess. It is what it is. No one it at fault really. I think we have to be thankful that these players are doing all this with its associated risks and hardships, because boards like the ECB and CA risk bankruptcy without matches.
Of course, it could be none of the above. India could just be getting very unlucky, as the Aussies have had in the past (how many years did this current Aussie attack never get on the field together due to injuries? Starc looks pretty cooked at the moment and in need of a rst himself).
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