S. Prasanna Venkatesan

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar called for greater emphasis on domestic cricket, arguing that the absence of several international players from the Ranji Trophy makes it difficult to assess the “true capability” of emerging cricketers.

“Indian cricket team is not Indian cricket. The Indian cricket team is a by-product of Indian cricket. So, for the by-product of Indian cricket to be good, Indian cricket has to be strong.

“When it is the Ranji Trophy season, your contracted players - the 14-15 players you have for Tests and ODIs - need not play. I can understand that. But all the others should be available,” he said during a virtual interaction on Saturday.

Gavaskar also expressed concern over India’s demanding schedule, suggesting that the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in January “could have been avoided” to give the players more time to rest and prepare for the five-Test series against Australia, starting later that month.

“I know the Indian team has got plenty of talent, and we can say that we’ll give the seniors a rest and have the others playing. But that is not what you want. You do not want to give away Test caps because you want to rest a senior. If there is an injury, that’s another matter. But in the last season and maybe the previous season, too many caps have been given. As a former cricketer, I just find that a little bit hard to accept,” he added.

The former India captain said he believes “a minimum of three Tests” in a series is “what is needed for Test cricket.”

Gavaskar, who expected the in-form Devdutt Padikkal to retain the No. 3 spot ahead of Sai Sudharsan, advised India’s Test batters to counter the seam movement in New Zealand by playing late. “The later you play, the better your chances of scoring runs as well as defending a good ball. Don’t push at the ball. Play with soft hands when you are defending,” he said.

(Watch India tour of New Zealand live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV starting October 22).