Former India captain Kapil Dev believes the sheer volume of limited-overs cricket is to blame for India’s recent struggles against spin in Test matches. His comments come as the team prepares for a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, starting on August 15.
Two home series lost
India have just come through back-to-back home Test series defeats, going down 0-3 to New Zealand and 0-2 to South Africa. Kapil feels players have had too little exposure to domestic cricket, which has made it harder for them to cope with the demands of the longer format.
He pointed to the growing number of T20Is and ODIs on the calendar as one reason players have found it difficult to adjust to Test cricket.
The case for domestic cricket
Kapil argued that senior players should turn out regularly in three- and four-day games. In his view, that would sharpen their skills against spin and also give younger cricketers a chance to learn from experienced team-mates.
Sri Lanka awaits
The challenge will not get easier in Sri Lanka, where conditions that help spinners are expected to play a major part in the series.
