Suresh Raina, a former cricketer, said that he was perplexed by Australia's choice to forgo holding any warm-up games before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on February 9.

The Australians have been preparing for the series in Bengaluru and have also summoned up Mahesh Pithiya, whose bowling action is quite similar to that of Ravichandran Ashwin, ahead of the Test in Nagpur. They are also using rank turners for practise. Steve Smith, an Australian batsman, had stated that Indian practise games are useless.

"The previous time we went, I'm very certain that we were given a green-top to practise on, although it wasn't really necessary. We would be better off with our own nets, bringing in spinners, and having them bowl as much as they can. When we land, we'll see what happens. I believe it was the proper call to cancel the tour match "Smith remarked.

Raina believes that Australia may have erred by forgoing exhibition matches. The former cricketer told PTI that these matches are extremely significant and that foreign spectators can only fully appreciate the calibre of Indian surfaces after playing on them. "Prior to Tests, I participated in practise matches, and they are quite significant. Only by playing on Indian fields can they (Australia) comprehend their quality, "Raina stated.

The southpaw believes India will win the series against Australia and that Ravindra Jadeja's comeback will greatly improve the team's balance. After a long absence, Jadeja has returned, and I am delighted about it, stated Raina. "Our spinners Axar Patel and R Ashwin are performing nicely. Since Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been playing well, I predict that we will soon be able to watch a compelling series.

However, Raina declined to make a series prediction and stated that he would like to see a wicket that could last for five days. "Let it start now. A Test game should last five days. After witnessing the first day and observing the players' concentration, I will only make a comment (on performance)," stated Raina.