CA considering India's request for extra practice match

Cricket Australia is considering India's plea for an extra practice game during their tour of the country later this year even though it concedes that the request, made after the team was thrashed in England, would be difficult to accomodate.

"We are currently considering the request," a CA spokesman was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

"You've got to understand that scheduling is a three-dimensional exercise and it is always difficult to make any changes once things are finalised. But we have always had cordial relations with the BCCI and we should be able to find a way," he assured.

India fell from the number one spot in ICC Test rankings after trailing 0-3 in the ongoing four-match series against England.

The team has been heavily criticised for the debacle with several former players blaming it on lack of practice games before the series. India played just one warm-up match before the Tests got underway last month.

Even for the tour of Australia, India have just one practice match, a four-day game against a Cricket Australia chairman's XI at Canberra's Manuka Oval, beginning on December 18.

And although CA is considering BCCIs request for an extra game, it would be difficult to work it out as all of Australia's state and many of its international players will be involved in the expanded Big Bash, which begins on December 16.

The four-Test India-Australia series begins with the Boxing Day (December 26) Test before moving to Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.