Ian Chappell says IPL 2020 will be 'good practice' ahead of upcoming Ind-Australia series

Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell reckons that the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be good practice for the Indian players ahead of the series against Australia. The IPL 2020 gets underway on September 19 after which Team India will pay a visit Down Under for a four-match Test series in December-January. 

'One thing is certain': Ian Chappell

"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," ESPNCricinfo quoted Chappell as saying.

"After a stint in the IPL, Bopara was asked to 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," added the former Australian skipper.

"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 the 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," Chappell said.

Can India create history once again?

Team India's next Test assignment would be against the current top-ranked side Australia when the two old cricketing rivals lock horns Down Under in a four-match Test series starting December 3. The first Test will be played in Brisbane and the second Test match is expected to be played under lights at the Adelaide Oval on December 11. The final two matches will be played in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. 

India had beaten Australia when they had toured Australia in the 2018-19 season 2-1 in the four-match series to win their maiden Test series on Australian soil. It remains to be seen whether the Virat Kohli-led side will succeed in retaining the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy by getting the better of a full-strength Australian side that features the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, etc. 

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Courtesy: AP)

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