WACA warm-up game scrapped by India in favor of normal practice sessions using the centre-wicket for the same.
WACA was to host an intra-squad practice game between India and India A. The plan is now scrapped.
India’s tour was to begin with a warm-up match against India A behind closed doors from November 15–17, with the aim of winning a third consecutive Test series in Australia.
However, India’s management has decided to have the team train at the WACA for those three days, which would involve net sessions and centre wicket match simulations.
Following India’s visit to the WACA, Australia is to train there. This will be crucial preparation for certain players who haven’t played many games.
“Going to be some good centre wickets with our boys bowling in Perth, in similar conditions to what you’re going to get at Optus Stadium. [It’s] probably going to be enough,” Steven Smith recently said about preparing for the Test series with centre wicket practice at the WACA.
Instead of playing a practice match against a domestic Australian team, India had originally chosen to play an intra-squad match as their only warm-up before the first Test, which began on November 22.
This differs from their last two tours of Australia. Where they played a four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI prior to the 2018–19 series. They also started the red-ball leg of their 2020–21 tour with a three-day match against Australia A.
At the request of India’s leadership, the intra-squad game at the WACA was to take place behind closed doors. Initially, there was optimism that the encounter would be accessible to the general public. Similar to India’s two pre-2022 T20 World Cup matches against a WA XI team.
At the WACA, which is undergoing renovations, around 2500 spectators attended the games, with a $5 admission fee donated to the WA Cricket Foundation.
Shortly after the final Test match against New Zealand in Mumbai on November 5, India is set to leave for Australia.
Following their four-day matches against Australia A in Mackay and the MCG, India A, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, were to play India’s Test team.
The 15-man India A team arrived in Brisbane in phases on October 25 and 26, with the first group of players experiencing a delayed departure because of a sick passenger.