Former captain Ian Chappell believes playing cricket in COVID-19 era is a lot different from anything experienced in the past, but said the upcoming IPL can provide some "challenging" practice to Indian and Australian players ahead of their much-anticipated duel later this year.
Indian players will fly directly to Australia after the IPL concludes on November 10 for the high-profile tour which is likely to begin with a T20 series followed by four Tests and ODIs. The IPL begins in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
Chappell feels the high-profile T20 event might just be a blessing in disguise for the Indians and the Australians, with just a few series possible since mid-March because of the pandemic.
“One thing is certain: where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the better players are dedicated to finding a solution,” Chappell wrote in a column for ESPNcricinfo.Com..
“In case of Indian players, and some of the Australians, they will at least have some challenging IPL cricket in the lead-up to the December series.” Chappell admitted the IPL “may not seem like ideal preparation for a tough Test series in Australia” but he recalled the thoughts of former England batsman Ravi Bopara in 2009.
“After a stint in the IPL, Bopara was asked on return to England if this was appropriate preparation for a Test match. He responded by saying that ‘looking to score at every opportunity gets your feet moving positively’. He proved his point emphatically by scoring back-to-back centuries against West Indies.”
The 76-year-old legend said with a host of health and safety protocols in place, it is difficult for visiting teams to prevail over home sides in the COVID-19 era.
“With venue bubbles, isolation rules, social distancing, and a number of changes to playing conditions, adapting to international competition has been testing for players.
It’s made life difficult and different even in a team environment but imagine the individual's dilemma in enforced isolation with a tour looming,” he said.