The situation reminds one of 2011. Days after a gruelling and successful World Cup campaign, the India players had to get into the IPL. And immediately after the IPL, there was a four-Test series in England. A jaded Indian team, then ranked No.1 in the world, travelled and got hammered 4-0.
Is it going to be significantly different when the Indian team travels to London for the World Test Championship final, starting at The Oval from June 7? The IPL final takes places on May 28, so there is practically no gap to recuperate and reboot. Will Rohit Sharma’s team be fit and fresh enough for a match where they seek to go one better than 2021, when New Zealand beat them in the final?
Answering these questions involves speculation. So let us not get into that. Instead, let us look at the how the teams shape up. Australia, without a doubt, will be the fresher side heading into that one-off Test. Barring David Warner and Cameron Green, none of their squad members have endured a full IPL season this time. Josh Hazlewood is in India, but he has played infrequently.
Compare Australia’s situation with India’s. KL Rahul is out, Jaydev Unadkat is uncertain. Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur are carrying niggles. Forced by circumstances, the selectors have had to name a few players as standby. Also, do not forget that barring Cheteshwar Pujara, everybody else will be going to London after a draining IPL season. It’s humanly not possible to be in your best shape immediately after the IPL, which takes so much of you. Midsummer heat, travel, training, matches — the body and mind need time to recover. And that time is not there as far as the India players are concerned.
One could say that Pujara is also playing and not getting adequate rest. The difference is that he is playing the County Championship in England. He will, without a doubt, be the most acclimatised of the Indian players when it comes to the WTC final. In fact, he will be India’s biggest hope when it comes to putting some runs on the board. He has scored more than a few for Sussex already, and that makes him India’s mainstay at the moment, like it or not.
The same goes for Steve Smith, who is playing for Sussex under Pujara’s captaincy. Smith did not bargain or plead with the IPL franchises for a place in the tournament. He reasoned with himself what worked best for him and his country, and decided to take part in the County Championship. Like Pujara, he will also be in the right condition come the WTC final.
This is going to be a very different Australian side, mind you. Very different from the one that lost the Test series in India just before the start of the IPL. Their fast bowlers will be far more effective in England than they were in India. More importantly, they will be fresher than their Indian counterparts. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have not played IPL this year. Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj and the support cast will go to London after a relentless schedule. These things can make a telling difference.
Now, this is going to be an recurring problem for India if the WTC final takes place at this time of the year. The IPL will have to be staged from March to May. If the WTC final happens in June, as it will in 2025 as well, then the Indian team, if they qualify, will always be heading to that game after a taxing IPL season. It was the same in 2021, when they were outplayed by New Zealand.
What are the chances of that not happening this time? Again, that answer is in the realm of speculations. But with less than a month to go for the match, it is very clear which team will be better prepared and fresher. The Australians will start the Test as a far fitter and fresh outfit than India, mentally and physically. The Indians will be wounded, literally. But then, one cannot argue beyond a point when it comes down to a matter of priorities.