For India captain Anil Kumble, there could not have been a better preparation for the Test series against Australia than the Irani Trophy beginning on Wednesday.
"It is very important. Irani Trophy is a very prestigious tournament and it will be nice to win this trophy. It will certainly be a good preparation for the Australia series," Kumble said in Vadodara.
Though the Indian team management is using this game to prepare for the high-profile series against Australia next month, the lure of winning the Irani Trophy is also high on their list.
"If both happen at the same time it will be good. More importantly it is a competitive match for all of us. We would like to go there and get the best out of us individuals and as a team it would be great to come out victorious. But having said that, the onus will be on getting most out as individuals and trying to maximize this opportunity," the leggie said.
Kumble rued the absence of Sachin Tendulkar but is hoping to have the master batsman fit for Australia series.
"I think we would like to see Sachin Tendulkar hundred percent fit for the Test matches. He is definitely a big player and he has done exceptionally well against Australia. It would be great to have him 100 percent and that is the most important factor for us. I am confident that he will be ready when we get to Bangalore [for the preparation camp]," he said.
Kumble recalled how his good showing for Rest of India way back in 1992-93 had helped him forge his way back into the Test team. The leggie took 13 for 138 in his debut match, against Delhi, and was promptly called up by the selectors after being dropped following a poor showing in England.
"Irani Trophy is something where everybody looks to perform and the performances are noticed. I happened to have a good game way back in 1992-93 so that certainly helped my comeback into the Test squad. I am sure all the youngsters would be looking to perform in this game. It is the ultimate trophy for Indian cricket and for domestic competition. I am sure the younger lot would be looking to get some good performances in this game," he said.
The 38-year-old is hoping that Team India regulars Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fail to fire in this match, but then make it up with a good showing against Australia.
"We have a few things up our sleeves and hopefully the first ball for each batsman should take care of that. As long as the law of averages catch up in this game for Viru [Sehwag] and Gambhir, it would be great. It would like to see them fire on all cylinders in the Test series, so it would be good to get them out quickly in this match," he said.
Kumble stressed that this match is the start of their preparations for the upcoming Australia series, which is nearly two weeks away.
"I think most important thing is to ensure we get good confidence out of this game. Like I mentioned that every player who goes out there likes to perform and if all those performances happen in this game then we will certainly be a lot confident going into the Australian series. But having said that there are about 15 days before the first Test and there is a lot of preparation that we need to do. It is a process, so we have about 15 days and this match is a part of that process," he said.
