B. Sai Sudharsan said shadow tours with the India A team helped players settle faster in international cricket. "The intensity on A tours is definitely almost on par with international cricket," he said. Coach L. Balaji also lauded the bench strength, noting that many players now get more opportunities.
Top-order batter B. Sai Sudharsan opined that the high quality of cricket during shadow tours with the India A team has helped players settle faster in international cricket.
The 24-year-old returned to action during the India A multi-day series against Australia A in Puducherry after a toe injury that kept him out of the India squad for the two-Test series away at Sri Lanka.
"The intensity on A tours is definitely almost on par with international cricket. These shadow tours help fine-tune our batting, bowling, and decision-making continuously," Sudharsan told reporters ahead of the white-ball leg of the series.
"With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up in a few months, the multi-day A-games helped us understand the Australian bowlers and their culture. The one-day game will also feel like a proper international match," he added.
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India A will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was part of the recent three-match ODI series against the West Indies. Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Suryansh Shedge and Yash Thakur are the others who have already been capped at international level.
The Australian squad features 15 players who have made their international bow in at least one format. Wicketkeeper-batter Lachlan Shaw is the only member yet to make his senior debut.
India A coach L. Balaji also echoed Sudharsan's comments, adding that the series will be "intense and solid". The former India pacer also lauded India's bench strength, saying more players are getting the opportunity to play at the highest level.
"Four teams were competing simultaneously - Rest of India in Srinagar, India A in Pondicherry, the main [ODI] team in the West Indies, and another in the Asian Games. It's good to have healthy competition. Players have space to work across three formats. The mindset should be to make the most of these ample opportunities, and those performing are getting their due," the former Tamil Nadu speedster said.
Patience needed with pacers
Since the start of 2025, India has looked to breed more fast bowlers into the national team setup. Harshit Rana, Gurnoor Brar and Nitish Kumar Reddy all feature high up in the list of ODIs in this period. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj too were handed their debuts recently.
But this blooding in of the next generation has coincided with the team failing to contain the rate at which runs have been conceded. West Indies managed to score more than 350 twice in three games against India including a successful chase in the third ODI. It was the eighth instance of India conceding at more than six runs per over in the last two years.
Balaji, a bowling coach with the BCCI Centre of Excellence, said these players deserve more time to get to grips with international cricket.
"High-scoring games are common now, but bowlers will adapt over time. Fast bowlers need time to mature. Jasprit Bumrah became world-class through time, effort, and experience. Many have the potential," Balaji said.
"The evolution of the sport leans heavily toward run-scoring in IPL and T20s but bowlers still have their space. Once bowling units click together, a balanced contest between bat and ball will return soon," he added.