CA open to Shastri’s warm-up match idea

India had played only one practice game prior to the Test series in England which it lost 4-1.

Australia skipper Tim Paine at a training session.

Cricket Australia has responded to India coach Ravi Shastri’s request for more warm-up matches ahead of the Test series starting December 6 in Adelaide.

Virat Kohli-led Team India, thrashed 4-1 in the five-match Test series in England, had played only one practice game before the red-ball season.

Though India will start the tour Down Under with three Twenty20 games, it has a 10-day gap between the last T20 fixture and the first Test.

CA is yet to receive an official request from the BCCI, but it is open to the idea.

“We are happy to discuss options with the BCCI, but we have not received any formal notification to increase the number of tour matches prior to their series commencing in Australia," a Cricket Australia spokesperson was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Prior to the series, India will host West Indies at home while South Africa will leave for Australia for three ODIs and a T20; scheduling of the warm-up games could be challenging.