Is India happy with the fixture of the England tour?

Shastri
India will get enough time to get used to the conditions in England, feels coach Ravi Shastri. Image Source: twitter

 

XtraTime Web Desk: Indian will play limited-overs series ahead the Test series in England and that will help the Men in Blue to get used to the conditions , feels the team’s head coach Ravi Shastri.

India’s tour of England includes three Twenty20 internationals, followed by as many one-day internationals and five Tests in July-September.

“We will be there (in England) almost a month before the first Test match,” said Shastri, pointing out that the first T20I was on 3 July and the first Test on 1 August. “That gives us that much more time (to prepare for Tests).”

Shastri felt India’s performance on the tour of South Africa earlier this year, where they bounced back after losing the first two Tests to finish 2-1, was promising ahead of fixtures against England and Australia. Virat Kohli, the India captain, had termed his side’s triumph in the final Test as “one of our sweetest wins”.

After the Test series, India went on to register 5-1 and 2-1 win in the ODIs and T20Is. A proud Shastri lauded his side for raising the bar in the 50-over format as well.

“What our boys did in South Africa makes me proud as a coach because there were 21 days of cricket and on each one of those 21 days, India competed.

“On each one of those days in the Test series, the pendulum swung from one side to other. Twenty-one out of 21 days the boys competed; they were relentless,” he said.

“The one-day series we won after 25 years. And so from a coach’s point of view, you have to just stand up and say, ‘Well done, guys. Simply magnificent. You have raised the bar’.”

Rohit Sharma, the India opener, said India had learned from the South Africa tour and had upped their game individually and collectively.

 

“What we did in South Africa was an example of how this team is going to play over the next few years, till the World Cup at least,” he said. “We want to go and express ourselves on the field.”

Meanwhile, Michael Clarke, the former Australian captain, backed India to do well on their overseas tours this year.

“I certainly think that they are in for a great chance to win in England,” he said. “If India can beat England in England, they go to Australia with so much confidence.

In the absence of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who are serving bans for their role in the ball-tampering incident, Australia will need to regroup quickly to compete against a strong Indian side, said Clarke.

“I think if India and Australia have their players fully fit, it will end up being an unbelievable series,” he added. “There’s no doubt that losing Smith, Warner and Bancroft is going to hurt Australia. But I would hate to see that if India do have success in Australia for it to be taken away due to the absence of the three players. I don’t think that is fair to the Indian team.”