One of the much-awaited test series between India and England is all set to get underway on January 25. Both teams will play five test matches, and this series will span almost 45 days. This will be part of the ongoing World Test Championship and is important for both teams.
Whoever wins the series will have an edge in the WTC points table. However, a series loss will hurt the chances of the losing team. India have a great track record at home, and it is pretty difficult for the teams to beat them in spinning conditions.
That will be the biggest challenge for this English team. Since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have taken charge, England have started playing a different brand of cricket. They have played with an aggressive template, which has helped them to be successful.
But they are yet to do well in spinning conditions. The tour to India will be the biggest challenge for them. Notably, England is expected to do their training in the UAE and will fly to India on January 21st at night and reach India on January 22nd, while the first test will start on January 25th in Hyderabad.
According to former English pacer Steve Harmison, this will not help England, and they will lose the series badly. He reckons that England should not reach India just three days before; rather, they need to practice more in Indian conditions.
In an interview with TalkSport, he said, “If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. They really do. You can’t go into India underprepared.” He also said that Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss, and Alastair Cook, who were part of England’s only test series winning side in 2012, would hear about it and laugh.
The 45-year-old feels that the time has changed and the team needs to respect the conditions and prepare accordingly. It is expected to be a big series as both teams have some big names. This series is likely to be the last face-off between Virat Kohli and James Anderson in the longest format.
