Ian Chappell Backs IPL 2020 As A Good Practice For Both The Sides Ahead Of India-Australia Test Series

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has underlined the positive aspects of the upcoming edition of IPL. After facing postponement twice, the 2020 edition of IPL will finally kickstart on the 19th of September in the UAE and concludes on the 10th of November. Ian Chappell believes that the cash-rich league is a good practice ahead of India’s Test tour of Australia.

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The Indian players will partake in their first competitive match for more than five months as the COVID-19 pandemic had postponed or cancelled all their international commitments. After the 2020 IPL season, Virat Kohli and a selected squad of Indian players will head to Australia for the four-Test series, a rubber which is one of the most anticipated ones. Unlike India’s 2018-19 tour, they will face a full-strength Australian side.

Ian Chappell feels that in the case of Indian cricketers and most Australian players, IPL serves as a challenging phase of cricket to have before a highly competitive Test series. Chappell understands that the cash-rich league might not be the ideal preparation; he reminded of Ravi Bopara’s words in 2009. After a stint in IPL in 2009 with Kings XI Punjab, he was asked whether it was fitting, he stated “looking to score at every opportunity gets your feet moving positively. Bopara managed two back to back hundreds on the tour of West Indies.

“One thing is certain: where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the better players are dedicated to finding a solution. In the case of the Indian players, and some of the Australians, they will at least have some challenging IPL cricket in the lead-up to the December series. While this may not seem like ideal preparation for a tough Test series in Australia, it’s worth recalling the thoughts of former England batsman Ravi Bopara in 2009,” Ian Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo.

“The downside is the fast bowlers are often wary of injuring their own players” : Ian Chappell

The South Australian added that the tourists should start acclimatising themselves to the bio-secure bubble that would be crucial on the tour of Australia. Chappell reminded that India will only have intra-squad games with them to know the best combination and made them aware of their key fast bowlers suffering injuries.

“The Indian players could well adopt this attitude for a series in Australia that will impact the Border-Gavaskar trophy, the World Test Championship, and their personal pride. It’s unlikely India will have the luxury of lead-up matches against tough opposition. More likely it will be intra-squad games, which can be helpful if selection is judicious and pits good bowlers against equally talented batsmen. The downside is the fast bowlers are often wary of injuring their own players,” the 76-year old added.

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