TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: Three days after the IPL final, Team India is trying to erase the old memory of 75 days. Late night matches, post-game recovery sessions lasting into the early hours and leisurely mornings define the players’ daily routine during the tournament. Now, those habits have been replaced by early breakfasts, long net sessions and the demand for red-ball cricket. Before facing Afghanistan, India’s cricketers will first need to recover from the IPL jitters and reset their body clock for the longest format.Eight cricketers from India’s 15-member squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan were joined by IPL 2026 finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). Seven of them, including captain Shubman Gill, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, opening batsman Sai Sudarshan and all-rounder Washington Sundar, played for GT in the final. Devdutt Padikkal played for RCB. And after a few days, the Test team has assembled in Chandigarh and started their preparations for the red-ball competition. The scheduling has been punishing for cricketers. And this is just the beginning.Later this year, India will travel to New Zealand for a three-format tour from October 22 to December 1. The change between India’s fifth ODI and the first Test against the Kiwis is just three days. The fifth ODI will be held on November 15 and the first Test of the two-match series will start from November 19.Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Thursday said the scheduling issue has been resolved and strength and conditioning coach Adrien Le Roux has drawn up a plan for the players to overcome the IPL hangover.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (left) during a practice session ahead of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. (PTI)
“It’s a fantastic thing. As you say, the time cycle of the IPL is very different from the requirement of Test matches. People have three days to do it,” he told reporters on Thursday.“They had their initial training session on Wednesday. Today (Thursday) is afternoon. Tomorrow (Friday) it will be morning again. Tomorrow there will be an optional. I think people have taken the responsibility of getting up early. I have seen a lot of people around the breakfast room in the last few days.He said, “Adrian (Le Roux) scheduled some gym programs early in the morning to force people to get up and adjusted their time slots. These guys are good professionals. They know what is required and they will adjust accordingly to ensure they are ready for the Test match and an early start on Saturday morning.” According to Ten Doeschate, managing sleep cycles during the transition has emerged as one of the biggest challenges, especially post-IPL.“Our job is just to prepare players for what’s ahead of them. Sleep cycle is probably at the top of that list, and it’s something that’s being addressed,” Ten Doeschate said.But changing sleep patterns is only part of the process. According to the former Netherlands all-rounder, the bigger task is to help the players give up T20 habits and rediscover the patience and discipline required for Test cricket.“But I think from the white-ball perspective to the red ball or the IPL to Test match cricket, it’s really detoxing him and these three days have been like that,” he said.“You want to make sure that people are making decisions based on where the ball is pitched. You want to make some technical changes in how you set up and how you position your bat and all that kind of stuff,” Ten Doeschate explained.
From a white-ball perspective to a red-ball one, or from the IPL to Test match cricket, it’s really been detoxing them, and that’s what these three days have been like
Ryan Ten Doeschate
India’s training sessions over the past few days have reflected that philosophy. Long batting drills, slip-catching drills and extended bowling spells have replaced the explosive, high-paced routines associated with T20 cricket.“The last two days and obviously today and yesterday it’s all been about that,” Ten Doeschate said.“Just detoxing people, making sure the habits they need to succeed in white-ball cricket are gone and they focus on playing proper Test cricket.”
Mohammed Siraj during a practice session ahead of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan in Mullanpur. (PTI)
Ten Doeschate also acknowledged the unique challenge of jumping straight from the IPL into a one-off Test in extreme heat conditions.“I don’t think it’s worth considering whether it’s good or bad. It’s definitely a challenge,” he said.The assistant coach of the Indian cricket team said that Indian players have rarely backed down from difficult tasks, be it technical, tactical or mental.He said, “You are playing an IPL final at night five days ago, and now you have to come early in the morning in 34-35 degrees and start a Test match. It’s just another challenge on the road and people will take it like they always do.”
