Abhishek Nayar questions India’s red-ball preparation ahead of New Zealand Test series

Abhishek Nayar believes India should have prioritised red-ball preparation for players featuring in both formats ahead of the New Zealand Tests. He called the series decisive for Gautam Gambhir and suggested Yashasvi Jaiswal play Ranji Trophy cricket.

New Delhi: Former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar believes the team management should have prioritised red-ball preparation for players featuring in both formats ahead of India’s upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand, arguing that the contest carries importance for head coach Gautam Gambhir and Indian cricket fans.

Speaking about the decision to split India’s ODI squads for the five-match series against New Zealand, Nayar felt players such as Shubman Gill and KL Rahul would have benefited from an extended period of preparation with the red ball following the earlier Test series defeat to the Blackcaps.

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Nayar admitted that New Zealand’s previous triumph on Indian soil remained a painful memory and stressed that India must approach the upcoming assignment with the intention of returning the favour.

“New Zealand came to India, they beat us in the Test series, and that hurt me a little, as it did the rest of our fans too. So, it’s a big series. There should be a balance in life. World Cup is important, but there is some time for that. This Test series, for me, is a decisive one for Gautam Gambhir and Indian fans.

“So, I would have liked players like KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, who are playing both formats, to focus only on Test cricket. Because now you have to prepare for the ODIs and, after that, the Tests. So, I would rather have given them one or two months to go and practise with the red ball. Just like they beat us here in India, we should beat them there,” Nayar told JioStar.

India will have different leadership arrangements across the five ODIs, with Gill captaining the opening three matches before Shreyas Iyer takes charge for the final two. Gill and Rahul are expected to leave the ODI setup after the third match to begin preparations for the Test assignment.

Nayar also weighed in on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from the ODI squad, suggesting that the left-handed opener could have been encouraged to use the opportunity to strengthen his red-ball credentials through domestic cricket rather than remain on the sidelines.

“I know that the communication must have taken place with Yashasvi that, ‘Look, we are not picking you because Rohit Sharma is anyway going to open with Shubman Gill. So, rather than sitting out, you prepare for New Zealand and play the Ranji Trophy, because that gives you a better chance of coming good in the Test series and helping Team India win,” he added.

Jaiswal’s absence from the ODI selections comes as India prepare to balance their limited-overs commitments with the demands of the Test format. The split squads also provide opportunities for several players to feature in the latter part of the series, with Shreyas leading a revamped group in the fourth and fifth ODIs.

India ODI squad for first three matches: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy (first ODI only), Auqib Nabi.

India ODI squad for fourth and fifth matches: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper and vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.