Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes that the rapid shift from the fast-paced Indian Premier League (IPL) to the rigorous nature of high-level Test cricket with the red ball in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final will be difficult for the players to adjust to the situation.
The WTC Final is all set to be played at The Oval from June 7–11. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will face off against India, captained by Rohit Sharma, for the coveted Test match. The IPL, which finished on May 29, featured many players from the Indian side as well as a few from Australia.
Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami, as well as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Ravichandran Ashwin, competed in the final WTC final in England in June 2021, following the IPL. “There’s no doubt that this transition period for the guys, I think, is going to have to be extreme. Get as much volume as they possibly can facing new balls, trying to get the nets as spiced up as possible,” Watson said.
“That’s the only way you can get your game back to hitting the ball under your eyes. Yes, you need that positive, aggressive intent while still understanding what balls you can score off and what balls are higher risk,” he added.
Watson feels that no time should be wasted during the players’ training sessions.
“The thing you’ve got to understand is what you really need to work on if you’ve only got a couple of days,” Watson said.
Watson discussed how batters might become acclimated to the Dukes’ ball in England.