How important is winning a warm-up match?
How important are warm-up matches, especially before a tournament as long as the World Cup? How do teams and players approach these games? Nagraj Gollapudi gets the views of those who've been there, done that.

Brett Lee was animated in his appeals even though it was a warm-up match • Getty Images
MS Dhoni: It is very difficult to prepare mentally to play in a warm-up game - especially after what we saw in the 2007 World Cup, where we had two good warm-up matches and after that I don't know where we were. I think it's because of the amount of games that we play because if you play 35-odd ODIs in a year and 10 Test matches and 45 days of IPL and Champions League then all of a sudden when you hear that you have a warm-up game and 15 players are playing in that game, it is a very difficult scenario to mentally prepare yourself for the game.
Buchanan: It's different for different teams. Some might use most of the games as a means to providing competition to as many players as they possibly can. It gives an opportunity try the odd tactic or two. Obviously players returning from injuries get time to get settled in. The games also can be used to get acclimatised. Some teams will also want to see it as a means to develop some sort of confidence and momentum within the group so they may place a bit more importance on the result of the game. Some teams would like to take a degree of confidence from those games heading into the main rounds of the tournament.
Ian Chappell: You don't try to lose but a loss doesn't hurt anywhere near as much as it does when the match counts.
Buchanan: It depends again on whether you believe your best players have had sufficient cricket coming into the tournament; then it sometimes is useful to not play them because what works in their best interest is to spend time away from game. There is no size that fits all, as everybody is in different positions approaching the tournament.
Buchanan: The emphasis is totally on your own cricket really. It is all about your players being ready for the tournament. As far as studying the opposition goes, the warm-ups can be used to get a little bit of insight into one or two players you haven't seen too much of, but overall it is just about preparing yourself in getting ready for the competition.
Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo