<p>After the Australia tour, the Indian team will be back in action for a white-ball home series versus England. The Jos Buttler-led side will be in the subcontinent for a five-match T20I series, which will be followed by three ODIs. The focus will be more on the ODI leg, as both the heavyweights will have one eye on the 2025 Champions Trophy. The mega event will be held in Pakistan and the UAE, starting next month.</p>
<p>England's white-ball tour of India commences on Jan 22 with the five-match T20I series opener. Suryakumar Yadav-led side will start as favourites as the current T20 champions have been on a winning spree in the format, having tamed South Africa 3-1 in a four-match series in Nov 2024. The T20I leg will be followed by three ODIs, starting on Feb 6 in Nagpur.</p>
<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shubman-gill-is-highly-overrated-india-should-pick-ruturaj-gaikwad-or-sai-sudharsan-claims-1983-world-cup-winner-8597894" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gill is highly overrated, India should pick Gaikwad or Sudharsan, claims 1983 World Cup winner</a></strong></p>
<h2><strong>HERE IS THE FULL SCHEDULE OF ENGLAND TOUR OF INDIA</strong></h2>
<p>1st T20I - 22 Jan, Eden Gardens, Kolkata</p>
<p>2nd T20I - 25 Jan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai</p>
<p>3rd T20I - 28 Jan, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot</p>
<p>4th T20I - 31st Jan, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune</p>
<p>5th T20I - 2nd Feb, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai</p>
<p>1st ODI - 6th Feb, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur</p>
<p>2nd ODI - 9th Feb, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack</p>
<p>3rd ODI - 12th Feb, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad</p>
<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/big-bash-league-2024-25-live-streaming-when-where-to-watch-sydney-thunder-vs-hobart-hurricanes-on-laptop-tv-8598917" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BBL 2024-25, Live Streaming: When &amp; where to watch Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes on laptop, TV</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>LIVE TELECAST AND STREAMING DETAILS</strong></p>
<p>The five T20Is and three ODIs' live telecast will be available on the <span>Star Sports Network in India, whereas the live-streaming will be on the FanCode app and website in India.</span></p>
<p><strong>SQUADS</strong></p>
<p><strong>England ODI Squad:</strong> Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood</p>
<p><strong>England T20I Squad:</strong> Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood</p>
<p><strong>India's T20I and ODI Squads:</strong> To be announced&nbsp;</p>

Cricket, Sports | England tour of India 2025: Here is all you need to know about schedule, streaming, squads Jos Buttler Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Hardik Pandya Suryakumar Yadav 

After the Australia tour, the Indian team will be back in action for a white-ball home series versus England. The Jos Buttler-led side will be in the subcontinent for a five-match T20I series, which will be followed by three ODIs. The focus will be more on the ODI leg, as both the heavyweights will have one eye on the 2025 Champions Trophy. The mega event will be held in Pakistan and the UAE, starting next month. England's white-ball tour of India commences on Jan 22 with the five-match T20I series opener. Suryakumar Yadav-led side will start as favourites as the current T20 champions have been on a winning spree in the format, having tamed South Africa 3-1 in a four-match series in Nov 2024. The T20I leg will be followed by three ODIs, starting on Feb 6 in Nagpur. Also read: Gill is highly overrated, India should pick Gaikwad or Sudharsan, claims 1983 World Cup winner HERE IS THE FULL SCHEDULE OF ENGLAND TOUR OF INDIA 1st T20I - 22 Jan, Eden Gardens, Kolkata 2nd T20I - 25 Jan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 3rd T20I - 28 Jan, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot 4th T20I - 31st Jan, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune 5th T20I - 2nd Feb, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 1st ODI - 6th Feb, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 2nd ODI - 9th Feb, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack 3rd ODI - 12th Feb, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Also read: BBL 2024-25, Live Streaming: When & where to watch Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes on laptop, TV LIVE TELECAST AND STREAMING DETAILS The five T20Is and three ODIs' live telecast will be available on the Star Sports Network in India, whereas the live-streaming will be on the FanCode app and website in India. SQUADS England ODI Squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood England T20I Squad: Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood India's T20I and ODI Squads: To be announced

England tour of India 2025: Here is all you need to know about schedule, streaming, squads

<p>Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed Ben Stokes-led England to win the five-match Test series in India after their terrific win in the series opener in Hyderabad. Stokes &amp; Co. produced a remarkable comeback in the first Test, after conceding a 190-run lead, to win the game by 28 runs courtesy of Ollie Pope's 196 and debutant spinner Tom Hartley's 7 for 62.</p>

<p>Ahead of India-England's second Test in Visakhapatnam, which got underway on Friday (Feb 2), Atherton feels it will be disappointing if England do not end up winning the series after the kind of start they had in Hyderabad.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'England have an excellent chance of building on their lead'</strong></h2>

<p>In his column in The Times, Atherton said, "England have moved from heavy second favourites to a situation where it would be a disappointment now if they did not win the series. Such an outcome, so unexpected and so unbelievable given where both teams were in the first innings, must have a huge psychological impact, especially given the quick turnaround and the injuries to two of India’s key players, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. England have an excellent chance of building on their lead."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/relaxed-india-did-not-panic-after-hyderabad-loss-bharat-says-batters-to-play-with-freedom-in-2nd-test-685927">Indian team ‘not demoralised’ after Hyderabad loss: Bharat says batters to 'play with freedom' in 2nd Test</a></strong></p>

<p>Atherton also opined on Virat Kohli's absence and how it was dearly missed in his side's shocking loss in Hyderabad. In this regard, he stated, "How significant Kohli’s absence was became apparent during the first Test, given how badly they missed his appetite for big runs, his safe catching at slip, his ability to withstand pressure and his passionate attitude in the field."</p>

<p>He added, "Rohit Sharma is a captain in a very different mould from his predecessor [Kohli] — at once more laid-back, albeit not quite so passive as MS Dhoni. As England began to get ahead in Hyderabad, Kohli’s electric presence in the field, as much as anything, was missed. It would not have been hard to imagine the way he would have tried to whip up the crowd and the way his energy would have been transmitted to others."</p>

<p>Kohli is out of action till the second Test due to personal reasons. However, nothing is officially known about him returning for the Third Test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Rohit-led India won the toss and opted to bat first in the Vizag Test on Friday morning. They are behind 0-1 and will be desperate to level the five-match series.</p>


Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed Ben Stokes-led England to win the five-match Test series in India after their terrific win in the series opener in Hyderabad.

Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed Ben Stokes-led England to win the five-match Test series in India after their terrific win in the series opener in Hyderabad. Stokes & Co. produced a remarkable comeback in the first Test, after conceding a 190-run lead, to win the game by 28 runs courtesy of Ollie Pope's 196 and debutant spinner Tom Hartley's 7 for 62. Ahead of India-England's second Test in Visakhapatnam, which got underway on Friday (Feb 2), Atherton feels it will be disappointing if England do not end up winning the series after the kind of start they had in Hyderabad. 'England have an excellent chance of building on their lead' In his column in The Times, Atherton said, "England have moved from heavy second favourites to a situation where it would be a disappointment now if they did not win the series. Such an outcome, so unexpected and so unbelievable given where both teams were in the first innings, must have a huge psychological impact, especially given the quick turnaround and the injuries to two of India’s key players, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. England have an excellent chance of building on their lead." Also read: Indian team ‘not demoralised’ after Hyderabad loss: Bharat says batters to 'play with freedom' in 2nd Test Atherton also opined on Virat Kohli's absence and how it was dearly missed in his side's shocking loss in Hyderabad. In this regard, he stated, "How significant Kohli’s absence was became apparent during the first Test, given how badly they missed his appetite for big runs, his safe catching at slip, his ability to withstand pressure and his passionate attitude in the field." He added, "Rohit Sharma is a captain in a very different mould from his predecessor [Kohli] — at once more laid-back, albeit not quite so passive as MS Dhoni. As England began to get ahead in Hyderabad, Kohli’s electric presence in the field, as much as anything, was missed. It would not have been hard to imagine the way he would have tried to whip up the crowd and the way his energy would have been transmitted to others." Kohli is out of action till the second Test due to personal reasons. However, nothing is officially known about him returning for the Third Test. Meanwhile, Rohit-led India won the toss and opted to bat first in the Vizag Test on Friday morning. They are behind 0-1 and will be desperate to level the five-match series.

Ind vs Eng: Would be disappointing if England don't win series, says Atherton after visitors' bright start

<p>On Tuesday (Jan 24), England's uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir was asked to return home, from UAE, following which the 20-year-old will&nbsp;miss the series opener of the India-England Tests in India. The five-match Test series gets underway on Jan 25 (Thursday) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. However, Bashir failed to make the playing XI, with Ben Stokes-led England announcing their line-up on Wednesday afternoon (Jan 24), after returning to the United Kingdom.</p>

<p>It is to be noted that Bashir was part of the England squad, which was named last year in December, for the India tour and part of their preparations in Abu Dhabi. Nonetheless, he could not fly to India with his teammates and now has been sent back home due to visa issues.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Why has Shoaib Bashir returned&nbsp;to London?</strong></h2>

<p>Bashir's dream of wearing the English Test cap has been delayed&nbsp;for his Pakistani roots. He is a Muslim of Pakistani heritage, hence, acquiring visa for the India tour became&nbsp; complicated. The travelling British media in India reported that the uncapped Surrey-born spinner was asked to return to London with his passport to get the correct paperwork at the Indian High Commission.</p>

<h2><strong>Is this the first time?</strong></h2>

<p>One might wonder if this is the first time that a visiting player has had issues in acquiring an India visa ahead of his national side's tour. Well, it is not the first such instance. Ahead of Australia's tour of India in 2023, opener Usman Khawaja had to stay back Down Under&nbsp;for delay in getting his Indian visa. He had experienced such delays before as well, while touring India in 2013, 2017 and even in 2011 for the now-defunct Champions League T20. Back then, the matter was resolved after intervention from the government authorities, according to ESPNCricinfo.</p>

<p>Notably, the visa process for entry to India asks applicants whether they or their parents are of Pakistani origin. Khawaja, who was born in Pakistani capital&nbsp;Islamadad, has often faced issues in coming to India. Even during the 2023 ODI World Cup, in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) complained of delays in their squad's visas. In addition, the same was the case for Pakistani journalists in what appeared to be another example of the tense diplomatic stand-off between the two countries (which has only increased on both sides due to&nbsp;their strained political relations since 2008).</p>

<h2><strong>CAPTAINS SYMPATHISE WITH BASHIR</strong></h2>

<p>Ahead of the first Test in Hyderabad, Indian captain Rohit Sharma sympathised with&nbsp;Bashir. In the pre-match presser, he said, on Wednesday, "I feel for him honestly, he's probably coming for the first time with the England set-up. And obviously not easy for anyone, there could be one of our guys coming to England has been denied or not available to get the visa..."</p>

<p>"Unfortunately, I don't sit in the visa office to give you more details. But I hope he can make it here quickly and enjoy our country and play some cricket as well," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-shoaib-bashir-england-cricketer-ruled-out-of-first-ind-vs-eng-test-in-india-over-visa-issue-683125">Who is Shoaib Bashir, England cricketer ruled out of first IND vs ENG Test over visa issue</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, England captain Stokes stated, "When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn't fly until Bash gets his visa but that was a little bit tongue in cheek." Stokes added, "I know it's a way bigger thing, doing that. That was probably just (my) emotions around the whole thing. There was never a chance that we were not going to travel around this but Bash knows he's had our full support."</p>

<p>"I'm pretty devastated that Bash has had to go through this. As a leader, as a captain, when one of your team-mates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional. I know he's back in London and a lot of people are jumping through hoops to try and get this through quicker. Hopefully, we're going to see him here over the weekend," he further said.</p>

<h2><strong>MORE ABOUT&nbsp;BASHIR</strong></h2>

<p>Bashir is a right-handed batter&nbsp;and a right-arm off-break bowler. He was born in 2003 in Surrey and represents the&nbsp;Somerset County Cricket Club. &nbsp;He made his first-class debut for Somerset in June 2023, against Essex. He made his T20 Blast debut&nbsp;against Hampshire, also during the same month.</p>

<p>The uncapped player's uncle was a wicket-keeper batsman for Guildford City Cricket Club, who encouraged Bashir to become a professional cricketer.&nbsp;Bashir featured for the England Lions cricket team for the first time in Oct 2023.&nbsp;Speaking of his first-class record, he has 10 wickets in six games with a best haul of 6 for 55.</p>

<p>Rob Key -- England men's managing director -- heaped praise on Bashir while speaking to Sky Sports last year. "We saw him last summer and you catch a glimpse of a few balls where you think there is something different there," Key said speaking to Sky Sports.</p>

<p>"Bashir is very raw and he's going for experience as much as anything else. We won't be afraid to play him. Hopefully we'll see a world-class spinner in the future."</p>

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<h2><strong>ENGLAND NAME BASHIR-LESS PLAYING XI FOR 1st TEST</strong></h2>

<p>Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach.</p>

<p>With no Bashir, England have went ahead with three spinners for the Hyderabad Test. Given he was named in the initial squad, there were high chances of his inclusion for the series opener. He will hope to make it to the English squad for the second Test, which starts on Feb 2 in Visakhapatnam.</p>


On Tuesday (Jan 24), England's uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir was asked to return home, from UAE, following which the 20-year-old will miss the series opener of the India-England Tests in India.

On Tuesday (Jan 24), England's uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir was asked to return home, from UAE, following which the 20-year-old will miss the series opener of the India-England Tests in India. The five-match Test series gets underway on Jan 25 (Thursday) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. However, Bashir failed to make the playing XI, with Ben Stokes-led England announcing their line-up on Wednesday afternoon (Jan 24), after returning to the United Kingdom. It is to be noted that Bashir was part of the England squad, which was named last year in December, for the India tour and part of their preparations in Abu Dhabi. Nonetheless, he could not fly to India with his teammates and now has been sent back home due to visa issues. Why has Shoaib Bashir returned to London? Bashir's dream of wearing the English Test cap has been delayed for his Pakistani roots. He is a Muslim of Pakistani heritage, hence, acquiring visa for the India tour became complicated. The travelling British media in India reported that the uncapped Surrey-born spinner was asked to return to London with his passport to get the correct paperwork at the Indian High Commission. Is this the first time? One might wonder if this is the first time that a visiting player has had issues in acquiring an India visa ahead of his national side's tour. Well, it is not the first such instance. Ahead of Australia's tour of India in 2023, opener Usman Khawaja had to stay back Down Under for delay in getting his Indian visa. He had experienced such delays before as well, while touring India in 2013, 2017 and even in 2011 for the now-defunct Champions League T20. Back then, the matter was resolved after intervention from the government authorities, according to ESPNCricinfo. Notably, the visa process for entry to India asks applicants whether they or their parents are of Pakistani origin. Khawaja, who was born in Pakistani capital Islamadad, has often faced issues in coming to India. Even during the 2023 ODI World Cup, in India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) complained of delays in their squad's visas. In addition, the same was the case for Pakistani journalists in what appeared to be another example of the tense diplomatic stand-off between the two countries (which has only increased on both sides due to their strained political relations since 2008). CAPTAINS SYMPATHISE WITH BASHIR Ahead of the first Test in Hyderabad, Indian captain Rohit Sharma sympathised with Bashir. In the pre-match presser, he said, on Wednesday, "I feel for him honestly, he's probably coming for the first time with the England set-up. And obviously not easy for anyone, there could be one of our guys coming to England has been denied or not available to get the visa..." "Unfortunately, I don't sit in the visa office to give you more details. But I hope he can make it here quickly and enjoy our country and play some cricket as well," he added. Also read: Who is Shoaib Bashir, England cricketer ruled out of first IND vs ENG Test over visa issue Meanwhile, England captain Stokes stated, "When I first found the news out in Abu Dhabi, I did say we shouldn't fly until Bash gets his visa but that was a little bit tongue in cheek." Stokes added, "I know it's a way bigger thing, doing that. That was probably just (my) emotions around the whole thing. There was never a chance that we were not going to travel around this but Bash knows he's had our full support." "I'm pretty devastated that Bash has had to go through this. As a leader, as a captain, when one of your team-mates is affected by something like that you do get a bit emotional. I know he's back in London and a lot of people are jumping through hoops to try and get this through quicker. Hopefully, we're going to see him here over the weekend," he further said. MORE ABOUT BASHIR Bashir is a right-handed batter and a right-arm off-break bowler. He was born in 2003 in Surrey and represents the Somerset County Cricket Club. He made his first-class debut for Somerset in June 2023, against Essex. He made his T20 Blast debut against Hampshire, also during the same month. The uncapped player's uncle was a wicket-keeper batsman for Guildford City Cricket Club, who encouraged Bashir to become a professional cricketer. Bashir featured for the England Lions cricket team for the first time in Oct 2023. Speaking of his first-class record, he has 10 wickets in six games with a best haul of 6 for 55. Rob Key -- England men's managing director -- heaped praise on Bashir while speaking to Sky Sports last year. "We saw him last summer and you catch a glimpse of a few balls where you think there is something different there," Key said speaking to Sky Sports. "Bashir is very raw and he's going for experience as much as anything else. We won't be afraid to play him. Hopefully we'll see a world-class spinner in the future." × ENGLAND NAME BASHIR-LESS PLAYING XI FOR 1st TEST Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach. With no Bashir, England have went ahead with three spinners for the Hyderabad Test. Given he was named in the initial squad, there were high chances of his inclusion for the series opener. He will hope to make it to the English squad for the second Test, which starts on Feb 2 in Visakhapatnam.

Explained | Why England’ spinner Shoaib Bashir returned home ahead of 1st Test vs India

<p>Ahead of the India Tests, England head coach Brendon McCullum says he wants his side 'to be bravest' as a huge challenge awaits Ben Stokes &amp; Co. The visiting side have a herculean task to beat India, who remain unbeaten in whites at home since their 1-2 loss to England in 2012/13. McCullum feels confident of the side's preparations&nbsp;in Abu Dhabi and emphasised that 'when to stick and when to twist' the nuances of the game will be a fascinating part.</p>

<p>Speaking to the reporters in Hyderabad, McCullum said, "India is the land of opportunity and that's what sits in front of us now, we'll take the positive option. Other teams might be better, but we want to be the bravest. We've got to do that and that's got to be factored into selection, too."</p>

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<p>The New Zealander opined, "The guys walked away from Abu Dhabi with a huge amount of confidence that we've prepared as well as we possibly can. In the end, all you're trying to do is get guys in the frame of mind where they feel 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play."</p>
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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-awards-ex-coach-ravi-shastri-to-receive-lifetime-achievement-award-gill-to-bag-mens-cricketer-honour-682654">BCCI Awards: Ex-coach Ravi Shastri to receive lifetime achievement award, Gill to bag men's cricketer honour</a></strong></p>

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<p>McCullum added, "We've got to take 20 wickets with the ball in each Test and we've got to get one more run than them with the bat. It's not rocket science but it will be the nuances of the game and when to stick and when to twist which will be the fascinating part."</p>

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<p>It will all boil down to England's&nbsp;ultra-aggressive batting approach&nbsp;against India's world-class spin trio in the upcoming five Tests. The first Test commences at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Jan 25 (Thursday).</p>
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Ahead of the India Tests, England head coach Brendon McCullum says he wants his side 'to be bravest' as a huge challenge awaits Ben Stokes & Co. The visiting side have a herculean task to beat India, who remain unbeaten in whites at home since their 1-2 loss to England in 2012/13.

Ahead of the India Tests, England head coach Brendon McCullum says he wants his side 'to be bravest' as a huge challenge awaits Ben Stokes & Co. The visiting side have a herculean task to beat India, who remain unbeaten in whites at home since their 1-2 loss to England in 2012/13. McCullum feels confident of the side's preparations in Abu Dhabi and emphasised that 'when to stick and when to twist' the nuances of the game will be a fascinating part. Speaking to the reporters in Hyderabad, McCullum said, "India is the land of opportunity and that's what sits in front of us now, we'll take the positive option. Other teams might be better, but we want to be the bravest. We've got to do that and that's got to be factored into selection, too." The New Zealander opined, "The guys walked away from Abu Dhabi with a huge amount of confidence that we've prepared as well as we possibly can. In the end, all you're trying to do is get guys in the frame of mind where they feel 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play." Also read: BCCI Awards: Ex-coach Ravi Shastri to receive lifetime achievement award, Gill to bag men's cricketer honour × McCullum added, "We've got to take 20 wickets with the ball in each Test and we've got to get one more run than them with the bat. It's not rocket science but it will be the nuances of the game and when to stick and when to twist which will be the fascinating part." It will all boil down to England's ultra-aggressive batting approach against India's world-class spin trio in the upcoming five Tests. The first Test commences at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Jan 25 (Thursday).

Ind vs Eng: We want to be the bravest, says England coach Brendon McCullum ahead of India Tests

<p>Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar feels talented young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will establish himself in the Test team after the England series at home. Rohit Sharma-led India take on Ben Stokes' England in a five-match Test series at home, with the first Test to get underway on Jan 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.</p>

<p>Jaiswal came into the Test setup after India moved past seniors Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, etc. following the WTC 2023 final loss. The left-hander has so far amassed 316 runs in four Tests,&nbsp;with a fifty and hundred (171), at an average of 45.14. The England series will be his first-ever at home since his debut in the format, in mid-2023. Thus, Gavaskar feels confident that the 22-year-old will make a name for himself in the upcoming red-ball assignments.</p>

<p>Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, "Yashasvi Jaiswal will easily settle in home conditions. He’s also a left-hander. I think he’ll establish himself completely in the Indian Test team after this series."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cheteshwar-pujara-joins-sachin-dravid-and-gavaskar-in-elite-list-after-england-series-snub-682135">Cheteshwar Pujara joins Sachin, Dravid and Gavaskar in elite list after England series snub</a></strong></p>

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<p>Further, Gavaskar backed Shreyas Iyer to be among the runs versus England. Iyer so far has&nbsp;707 runs in 12 Test matches,&nbsp;at an average of 39.27. However, the right-hander struggled against South Africa in their recent Test series&nbsp;in the African nation, ending with only&nbsp;41 runs in four innings.</p>

<p>Gavaskar added, "In the World Cup, Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly in Indian pitches, so I’m hoping he’ll play similarly at No.5 in the Test series. He batted aggressively, was quite watchful at the start and then his stroke-making after reading the pitch was a delight to watch. I hope he’ll replicate that."</p>

<p>The last two Test series between India and England&nbsp;in India have resulted in 4-0 (2016-17) and 3-1 (2020-21) series triumphs for the home side. They&nbsp;have not lost a Test series on home soil since England beat them 2-1 in 2012/13.</p>

<p><strong>India’s squad for first two Tests vs England</strong></p>

<p>Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.</p>


Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar feels talented young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will establish himself in the Test team after the England series at home. Rohit Sharma-led India take on Ben Stokes' England in a five-match Test series at home, with the first Test to get underway on Jan 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar feels talented young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will establish himself in the Test team after the England series at home. Rohit Sharma-led India take on Ben Stokes' England in a five-match Test series at home, with the first Test to get underway on Jan 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Jaiswal came into the Test setup after India moved past seniors Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, etc. following the WTC 2023 final loss. The left-hander has so far amassed 316 runs in four Tests, with a fifty and hundred (171), at an average of 45.14. The England series will be his first-ever at home since his debut in the format, in mid-2023. Thus, Gavaskar feels confident that the 22-year-old will make a name for himself in the upcoming red-ball assignments. Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, "Yashasvi Jaiswal will easily settle in home conditions. He’s also a left-hander. I think he’ll establish himself completely in the Indian Test team after this series." Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara joins Sachin, Dravid and Gavaskar in elite list after England series snub × Further, Gavaskar backed Shreyas Iyer to be among the runs versus England. Iyer so far has 707 runs in 12 Test matches, at an average of 39.27. However, the right-hander struggled against South Africa in their recent Test series in the African nation, ending with only 41 runs in four innings. Gavaskar added, "In the World Cup, Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly in Indian pitches, so I’m hoping he’ll play similarly at No.5 in the Test series. He batted aggressively, was quite watchful at the start and then his stroke-making after reading the pitch was a delight to watch. I hope he’ll replicate that." The last two Test series between India and England in India have resulted in 4-0 (2016-17) and 3-1 (2020-21) series triumphs for the home side. They have not lost a Test series on home soil since England beat them 2-1 in 2012/13. India’s squad for first two Tests vs England Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.

Yashasvi Jaiswal will establish himself in the team after England home Tests, says Sunil Gavaskar

<p>Ahead of Ben Stokes-led England's five Tests versus India, in India, former English spinner Graeme Swann recalled his side's historic red-ball series triumph in India in 2012-13. Back then, Alastair Cook-led England won their maiden Test series on Indian soil after 28 years, beating MS Dhoni-led India 2-1 in four Tests. During the tour, England spinners&nbsp;Swann (20 scalps -- joint-most) and&nbsp;Monty Panesar (17 wickets) were the top performers along with Cook (562 runs) and Kevin Pietersen (338 runs)</p>

<p>Swann recalled England's historic Test series win. He has urged the current crop of English cricketers to not take on Virat Kohli, who revels in on-field battle, while recalling an interesting episode from the 2012-13 series. In addition, he&nbsp;named the Indian batter against whom he didn't enjoy bowling.</p>

<p>Swann said in a Sky Sports Cricket podcast, "We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke (Virat Kohli) because he absolutely revels in a battle in the field and he loves chasing down totals. We knew what he could do in the white-ball format but back then he hadn't really done anything in Test cricket."</p>

<p>"Steven Finn got driven for a couple of incredible fours and he lost the plot and had a go at him and realised his mistake straight away. Virat roared up like a tiger and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere."</p>

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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-rohit-kohli-have-ordinary-ipl-gavaskar-on-indias-possible-t20-wc-squad-makes-bold-suggestion-678940">‘If Rohit, Kohli have ordinary IPL…’: Gavaskar on India's possible T20 WC squad, makes BOLD suggestion</a></strong></p>

<p>During the 2012-13 series, Kohli took time to get going in the first three Tests but slammed an impressive 103 in the fourth and final Test in Nagpur, also stitching a vital 198-run stand with then skipper MS Dhoni (99). The Test ended in a draw as England won the series with a 2-1 lead already in their grasp.</p>

<p>Swann added, "I got him (Kohli) out in the first Test but often you had to bowl the perfect ball to dismiss him. The one batter I didn't like bowling to was (Cheteshwar) Pujara because was very nimble on his feet.</p>

<p>"It's strange when I look back at the team they had -- VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli -- and the one that I didn't like bowling to was Pujara."</p>

<p>This time around, England have their task cut-out to replicate their side's past success against Rohit Sharma-led Indian team. India have not lost a Test series at home since their 2012-13 defeat to England.</p>

<p>The first of the five-match Test series kicks off in Hyderabad on Jan 25.&nbsp;</p>


Ahead of Ben Stokes-led England's five Tests versus India, in India, former English spinner Graeme Swann recalled his side's historic red-ball series triumph in India in 2012-13.

Ahead of Ben Stokes-led England's five Tests versus India, in India, former English spinner Graeme Swann recalled his side's historic red-ball series triumph in India in 2012-13. Back then, Alastair Cook-led England won their maiden Test series on Indian soil after 28 years, beating MS Dhoni-led India 2-1 in four Tests. During the tour, England spinners Swann (20 scalps -- joint-most) and Monty Panesar (17 wickets) were the top performers along with Cook (562 runs) and Kevin Pietersen (338 runs) Swann recalled England's historic Test series win. He has urged the current crop of English cricketers to not take on Virat Kohli, who revels in on-field battle, while recalling an interesting episode from the 2012-13 series. In addition, he named the Indian batter against whom he didn't enjoy bowling. Swann said in a Sky Sports Cricket podcast, "We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke (Virat Kohli) because he absolutely revels in a battle in the field and he loves chasing down totals. We knew what he could do in the white-ball format but back then he hadn't really done anything in Test cricket." "Steven Finn got driven for a couple of incredible fours and he lost the plot and had a go at him and realised his mistake straight away. Virat roared up like a tiger and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere." × Also read: ‘If Rohit, Kohli have ordinary IPL…’: Gavaskar on India's possible T20 WC squad, makes BOLD suggestion During the 2012-13 series, Kohli took time to get going in the first three Tests but slammed an impressive 103 in the fourth and final Test in Nagpur, also stitching a vital 198-run stand with then skipper MS Dhoni (99). The Test ended in a draw as England won the series with a 2-1 lead already in their grasp. Swann added, "I got him (Kohli) out in the first Test but often you had to bowl the perfect ball to dismiss him. The one batter I didn't like bowling to was (Cheteshwar) Pujara because was very nimble on his feet. "It's strange when I look back at the team they had -- VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli -- and the one that I didn't like bowling to was Pujara." This time around, England have their task cut-out to replicate their side's past success against Rohit Sharma-led Indian team. India have not lost a Test series at home since their 2012-13 defeat to England. The first of the five-match Test series kicks off in Hyderabad on Jan 25.

Kohli enjoys on-field battle, didn't like bowling to Pujara: Swann recalls ENG's 2012 Test series win in India

<p>England's former spinner Monty Panesar hailed R Ashwin as a 'brilliant' spinner ahead of both sides' five Tests in the Indian subcontinent, starting on Jan 25 in Hyderabad. Panesar feels Ashwin has adapted to different conditions brilliantly, over the years,&nbsp;to deliver the goods for India in the purest format of the game. It is to be noted that the wily Indian off-spinner is just 10 wickets away from claiming 500 wickets in red-ball cricket. Thus, he has a high chance to join the elite 500-wicket club during the home series versus Ben Stokes-led England.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'R Ashwin is like an app, he keeps updating every six months'</strong></h2>

<p>Ahead of the first Test, in Hyderabad, Panesar spoke to Hindustan Times and heaped praise on Ashwin. He said, "He has had the mindset to keep adapting and bowling different deliveries. He kept getting better. It's not easy all the time to take a lot of wickets on turning pitches. He's been given turners at home, but you can see the way he adapts all the time. He's like an app, he keeps updating every six months! That's what he has done throughout his career."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-pacer-mohammed-shami-marks-upcoming-home-test-series-against-england-for-comeback-678221">India pacer Mohammed Shami marks upcoming home Test series against England for comeback</a></strong></p>

<p>The ex-English spinner, who played a major role in his side's historic Test series win in India in 2012/13,&nbsp;added, "I always find that I am a student when it comes to Ashwin's bowling. I feel I am continually learning something new about his bowling. That's the asset Ashwin is. He is a brilliant bowler."</p>

<p>Ashwin has 490 wickets in 95 Tests at an average of&nbsp;23.69. At home, he has churned out 337 wickets at&nbsp;20.87. He will look to add to his wicket column in the forthcoming Tests versus England, challenging their aggressive style of batting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first Test gets underway on Jan 25 at the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.</p>


England's former spinner Monty Panesar hailed R Ashwin as a 'brilliant' spinner ahead of both sides' five Tests in the Indian subcontinent, starting on Jan 25 in Hyderabad.

England's former spinner Monty Panesar hailed R Ashwin as a 'brilliant' spinner ahead of both sides' five Tests in the Indian subcontinent, starting on Jan 25 in Hyderabad. Panesar feels Ashwin has adapted to different conditions brilliantly, over the years, to deliver the goods for India in the purest format of the game. It is to be noted that the wily Indian off-spinner is just 10 wickets away from claiming 500 wickets in red-ball cricket. Thus, he has a high chance to join the elite 500-wicket club during the home series versus Ben Stokes-led England. 'R Ashwin is like an app, he keeps updating every six months' Ahead of the first Test, in Hyderabad, Panesar spoke to Hindustan Times and heaped praise on Ashwin. He said, "He has had the mindset to keep adapting and bowling different deliveries. He kept getting better. It's not easy all the time to take a lot of wickets on turning pitches. He's been given turners at home, but you can see the way he adapts all the time. He's like an app, he keeps updating every six months! That's what he has done throughout his career." Also read: India pacer Mohammed Shami marks upcoming home Test series against England for comeback The ex-English spinner, who played a major role in his side's historic Test series win in India in 2012/13, added, "I always find that I am a student when it comes to Ashwin's bowling. I feel I am continually learning something new about his bowling. That's the asset Ashwin is. He is a brilliant bowler." Ashwin has 490 wickets in 95 Tests at an average of 23.69. At home, he has churned out 337 wickets at 20.87. He will look to add to his wicket column in the forthcoming Tests versus England, challenging their aggressive style of batting. The first Test gets underway on Jan 25 at the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.

Ind vs Eng: R Ashwin is like an app, keeps updating - Former spinner Monty Panesar hails Indian star

<p>England are set to tour India for a five-match Test series, starting next month. Ahead of the tour, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-man squad on Monday (Dec 11). The Ben Stokes-led visitors will be challenged by Indian spinners and it will be interesting to see how their aggressive batters respond to the challenge. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has opened up on the Test series and made a bold prediction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vaughan stated that he expects England to not back off from their aggressive approach, famously known as 'Bazball'. He, however, cautioned that it could all come down crumbling against the spin trio of R Ashiwn, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Speaking on Fox Cricket, Vaughan stated, "Ultimately, the hardest place to play in the world is India and if you actually go back to the Ashes when Nathan Lyon was fit and bowling nicely, Australia were 2-0 up in the series. Now that's just one spinner, if you look at that five-for he got at Edgbaston and the field was spread and England got out to him by playing ridiculous shots at times."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sa-vs-ind-2nd-t20i-will-weather-interrupt-second-and-penultimate-tie-in-gqeberha-all-you-need-to-know-668850">SA vs Ind, 2nd T20I: Will weather interrupt second and penultimate tie in Gqeberha? All you need to know</a></strong></p>

<p>He further opined, "If you add in Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel on spinning wickets in India, they may get blown away, they may get absolutely destroyed. They will go out and play exactly the same way, we've already spoken about the impact they are going to try and achieve in India with the way they play." He added, "It will be great watching, but you will have to fancy three quality spinners might do a job on England when one quality spinner in Nathan Lyon did the job in English conditions. It's going to be very tough for them to win in India."</p>

<p><strong>England Test squad for India tour</strong></p>

<p>Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root</p>

<p>The first Test gets underway on Jan 25 in Hyderabad.&nbsp;</p>


England are set to tour India for a five-match Test series, starting next month. Ahead of the tour, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-man squad on Monday (Dec 11).

England are set to tour India for a five-match Test series, starting next month. Ahead of the tour, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-man squad on Monday (Dec 11). The Ben Stokes-led visitors will be challenged by Indian spinners and it will be interesting to see how their aggressive batters respond to the challenge. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has opened up on the Test series and made a bold prediction. Vaughan stated that he expects England to not back off from their aggressive approach, famously known as 'Bazball'. He, however, cautioned that it could all come down crumbling against the spin trio of R Ashiwn, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Speaking on Fox Cricket, Vaughan stated, "Ultimately, the hardest place to play in the world is India and if you actually go back to the Ashes when Nathan Lyon was fit and bowling nicely, Australia were 2-0 up in the series. Now that's just one spinner, if you look at that five-for he got at Edgbaston and the field was spread and England got out to him by playing ridiculous shots at times." Also read: SA vs Ind, 2nd T20I: Will weather interrupt second and penultimate tie in Gqeberha? All you need to know He further opined, "If you add in Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel on spinning wickets in India, they may get blown away, they may get absolutely destroyed. They will go out and play exactly the same way, we've already spoken about the impact they are going to try and achieve in India with the way they play." He added, "It will be great watching, but you will have to fancy three quality spinners might do a job on England when one quality spinner in Nathan Lyon did the job in English conditions. It's going to be very tough for them to win in India." England Test squad for India tour Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root The first Test gets underway on Jan 25 in Hyderabad.

England tour of India 2024: Ben Stokes & Co. may get absolutely destroyed in India, feels Michael Vaughan

<p>Chris Woakes was omitted from England's 16-man squad for the upcoming five Tests versus India, which commence&nbsp;early next month. The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the squad on Monday (Dec 11) which includes three uncapped players. While England have focused on strengthening their spin arsenal, the pace department comprises experienced campaigners such as James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood but Woakes didn't find a place. It is surprising because Woakes ended as the Player-of-the-Series, for 19 wickets and 79 runs, in Ashes 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 34-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder opened up on his omission while speaking on Sky Sports. "It's mixed emotions. You're always desperate to be in it, but at the same time, at my age, with my away record - particularly in the subcontinent - I feel like it's a fair decision. We had conversations about where my best cricket is likely to be played moving forward and, naturally in Test cricket, it looks likely to be at home," stated Woakes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Woakes&nbsp;has scored 249 runs in 16 matches while accounting for 21 wickets across all formats in India. The experienced campaigner has been handy across formats, especially in Tests. In the home Ashes early this year, he became a part of the playing XI from the third Test and ended as the Player-of-the-Series, also winning the Player-of-the-Match in England's 49-run win in the fifth and final Test that led to the series ending in a 2-2 draw.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-tour-of-india-three-uncapped-players-included-as-ecb-announces-16-man-squad-for-five-tests-668554">England tour of India: Three uncapped players included as ECB announces 16-man squad for five Tests</a></strong></p>

<h3>England squad for India tour 2024</h3>

<p>Ben Stokes&nbsp;(captain)<br />
Rehan Ahmed<br />
James Anderson<br />
Gus Atkinson&nbsp;<br />
Jonny Bairstow<br />
Shoaib Bashir<br />
Harry Brook&nbsp;<br />
Zak Crawley<br />
Ben Duckett&nbsp;<br />
Ben Foakes<br />
Tom Hartley&nbsp;<br />
Jack Leach&nbsp;<br />
Ollie Pope<br />
Ollie Robinson&nbsp;<br />
Joe Root<br />
Mark Wood</p>

<h3>India vs England Tests in 2024</h3>

<p><strong>1st Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Jan 25-29, Hyderabad<br />
<strong>2nd Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Feb 2-6, Vizag<br />
<strong>3rd Test:&nbsp;</strong>India vs England, Feb 15-19, Rajkot<br />
<strong>4th Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Feb 23-27, Ranchi<br />
<strong>5th Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Mar 7-11, Dharamsala</p>

<p>The last time England toured India for a Test series was in early 2021 when they lost 1-3 (four Tests). It will be interesting to see how they respond to the subcontinental challenges this time around.</p>


Chris Woakes was omitted from England's 16-man squad for the upcoming five Tests versus India, which commence early next month. The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the squad on Monday (Dec 11) which includes three uncapped players.

Chris Woakes was omitted from England's 16-man squad for the upcoming five Tests versus India, which commence early next month. The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the squad on Monday (Dec 11) which includes three uncapped players. While England have focused on strengthening their spin arsenal, the pace department comprises experienced campaigners such as James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood but Woakes didn't find a place. It is surprising because Woakes ended as the Player-of-the-Series, for 19 wickets and 79 runs, in Ashes 2023. The 34-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder opened up on his omission while speaking on Sky Sports. "It's mixed emotions. You're always desperate to be in it, but at the same time, at my age, with my away record - particularly in the subcontinent - I feel like it's a fair decision. We had conversations about where my best cricket is likely to be played moving forward and, naturally in Test cricket, it looks likely to be at home," stated Woakes. Notably, Woakes has scored 249 runs in 16 matches while accounting for 21 wickets across all formats in India. The experienced campaigner has been handy across formats, especially in Tests. In the home Ashes early this year, he became a part of the playing XI from the third Test and ended as the Player-of-the-Series, also winning the Player-of-the-Match in England's 49-run win in the fifth and final Test that led to the series ending in a 2-2 draw. Also read: England tour of India: Three uncapped players included as ECB announces 16-man squad for five Tests England squad for India tour 2024 Ben Stokes (captain) Rehan Ahmed James Anderson Gus Atkinson Jonny Bairstow Shoaib Bashir Harry Brook Zak Crawley Ben Duckett Ben Foakes Tom Hartley Jack Leach Ollie Pope Ollie Robinson Joe Root Mark Wood India vs England Tests in 2024 1st Test: India vs England, Jan 25-29, Hyderabad 2nd Test: India vs England, Feb 2-6, Vizag 3rd Test: India vs England, Feb 15-19, Rajkot 4th Test: India vs England, Feb 23-27, Ranchi 5th Test: India vs England, Mar 7-11, Dharamsala The last time England toured India for a Test series was in early 2021 when they lost 1-3 (four Tests). It will be interesting to see how they respond to the subcontinental challenges this time around.

Fair decision: Chris Woakes reacts after being left out of England squad for India Tests

<p>England are set to tour India early next year for five Tests. On Monday (Dec 11), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-member England squad featuring three uncapped players.&nbsp;Surrey speedster&nbsp;Gus Atkinson and off-spinners Tom Hartley (Lancashire) and Shoaib Bashir (Somerset) are part of the squad with England focusing on their spin department in their subcontinental tour. Meanwhile, it also sees the return of Rehan Ahmed who made his debut in the format during England's tour of Pakistan last December.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about some other big points, Chris Woakes and Liam Dawson have been excluded, wicketkeeper-batter&nbsp;Ben Foakes has been recalled whereas&nbsp;Ollie Pope and Jack Leach mark their return. Woakes' exclusion is a big surprise as he ended as the Player-of-the-Series in the Ashes 2023 edition, at home, after being a late addition. However, it seems England have focussed more on strengthening their spin department and, hence, have gone ahead with James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood to spearhead the pace attack.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aus-vs-pak-former-captain-steve-smith-opens-up-on-retirement-speculation-ahead-of-perth-test-668546">Aus vs Pak: Former captain Steve Smith opens up on retirement speculation ahead of Perth Test</a></strong></p>

<p>England last toured India for a Test series in early 2021, when Joe Root-led England lost the four-match series 3-1. It will be interesting to how they compete this time around. Moreover, all eyes are on how the much-talked-about Bazball works in India, against the likes of R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>England squad for India tour 2024</h3>

<p>Ben Stokes&nbsp;(captain)<br />
Rehan Ahmed<br />
James Anderson<br />
Gus Atkinson&nbsp;<br />
Jonny Bairstow<br />
Shoaib Bashir<br />
Harry Brook&nbsp;<br />
Zak Crawley<br />
Ben Duckett&nbsp;<br />
Ben Foakes<br />
Tom Hartley&nbsp;<br />
Jack Leach&nbsp;<br />
Ollie Pope<br />
Ollie Robinson&nbsp;<br />
Joe Root<br />
Mark Wood</p>

<h3>India vs England Tests in 2024</h3>

<p><strong>1st Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Jan 25-29, Hyderabad<br />
<strong>2nd Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Feb 2-6, Vizag<br />
<strong>3rd Test:&nbsp;</strong>India vs England, Feb 15-19, Rajkot<br />
<strong>4th Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Feb 23-27, Ranchi<br />
<strong>5th Test:</strong>&nbsp;India vs England, Mar 7-11, Dharamsala</p>


England are set to tour India early next year for five Tests. On Monday (Dec 11), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-member England squad featuring three uncapped players.

England are set to tour India early next year for five Tests. On Monday (Dec 11), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-member England squad featuring three uncapped players. Surrey speedster Gus Atkinson and off-spinners Tom Hartley (Lancashire) and Shoaib Bashir (Somerset) are part of the squad with England focusing on their spin department in their subcontinental tour. Meanwhile, it also sees the return of Rehan Ahmed who made his debut in the format during England's tour of Pakistan last December. Talking about some other big points, Chris Woakes and Liam Dawson have been excluded, wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes has been recalled whereas Ollie Pope and Jack Leach mark their return. Woakes' exclusion is a big surprise as he ended as the Player-of-the-Series in the Ashes 2023 edition, at home, after being a late addition. However, it seems England have focussed more on strengthening their spin department and, hence, have gone ahead with James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood to spearhead the pace attack. Also read: Aus vs Pak: Former captain Steve Smith opens up on retirement speculation ahead of Perth Test England last toured India for a Test series in early 2021, when Joe Root-led England lost the four-match series 3-1. It will be interesting to how they compete this time around. Moreover, all eyes are on how the much-talked-about Bazball works in India, against the likes of R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. England squad for India tour 2024 Ben Stokes (captain) Rehan Ahmed James Anderson Gus Atkinson Jonny Bairstow Shoaib Bashir Harry Brook Zak Crawley Ben Duckett Ben Foakes Tom Hartley Jack Leach Ollie Pope Ollie Robinson Joe Root Mark Wood India vs England Tests in 2024 1st Test: India vs England, Jan 25-29, Hyderabad 2nd Test: India vs England, Feb 2-6, Vizag 3rd Test: India vs England, Feb 15-19, Rajkot 4th Test: India vs England, Feb 23-27, Ranchi 5th Test: India vs England, Mar 7-11, Dharamsala

England tour of India: Three uncapped players included as ECB announces 16-man squad for five Tests

<p>Indian bowlers staged a praiseworthy fightback while defending a low total of 81 runs, however, England sealed the three-match T20I series by beating Women in Blue by four wickets in the second T20I at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.</p>

<p>Indian batters just could not battle the English bowlers, with only Jemimah (30) and Smriti Mandhana (10) getting to double figures. England skittled out India for just 80 runs in 16.2 overs. In the defence of the target, Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma showed character, but that just was not enough.</p>

<p>In the run chase of 81, India was off to a solid start as pacer Renuka Singh removed both openers Sophia Dunkley (9) and Danni Wyatt (0), reducing England to 19/2 in three overs.</p>

<p>Alice Capsey, the young all-rounder joined forces with the veteran Nat-Sciver Brunt. At the end of the powerplay, England was 49/2 in&nbsp;six overs.</p>

<p>England reached the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs. Their 42-run stand came to an end when Pooja Vastrakar cleaned up Sciver for 16. England was 61/3 in 7.5 overs. India staged a small fightback, with spinner Saika Ishaque picking up Capsey for 25. Deepti Sharma also removed Amy Jones (5) and Freya Kemp (0), but England with 73/6 in 10.3 overs was&nbsp;already close to the target</p>

<p>Skipper Heather Knight (7*) and Sophie Ecclestone (9*) guided the team to a four-wicket win.</p>

<p>Renuka (2/26) and Deepti (2/4) took two wickets for India while Saika and Pooja got one each. India lost the series 2-0. Earlier, England bowlers wreaked havoc on Indian batters to bundle out hosts for 80 in 16.2 overs in the third T20I of three-match series at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.</p>

<p>Every England bowler took a wicket while Charlotte Dean and Sarah Glenn bagged two wickets each. In a pretty abysmal batting performance from India, Jemimah Rodrigues was the lone warrior, scoring a vigilant 30 runs against a blistering English assault.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2024-all-you-need-to-know-about-complete-squads-after-auctions-including-rcb-mi-667987">WPL 2024: All you need to know about complete squads after auctions including RCB, MI</a></p>

<p>Opted to bowl first, Charlotte Dean drew first blood in the game as she removed opener Shafali Verma for a two-ball duck. Smriti Mandhana tried to handle the charge and slammed boundaries, but her innings came to an end as she was removed by Dean. In the 5th over, Harmanpreet Kaur slammed two back-to-back boundaries before she fell prey to Nat Sciver-Brunt after making 9 runs. Lauren Bell then cleaned up all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the 6th over. India kept losing wickets at regular intervals as Sophie Ecclestone removed Richa Ghosh for 4.</p>

<p>It was assumed to be all over for India at the Wankhede after their team were reduced to 45/6 after 9.4 overs. India's nightmare continued in the game as well-set batter Jemimah Rodrigues departed after consecutive fours, leaving India tottering at 68-8 after 13 overs. England's Ecclestone ended India's hopes of going past 100 runs as she removed Saika Ishaque for 8 to bundle out hosts for 80.</p>


Indian bowlers staged a praiseworthy fightback while defending a low total of 81 runs, however, England sealed the three-match T20I series by beating Women in Blue by four wickets in the second T20I at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Indian bowlers staged a praiseworthy fightback while defending a low total of 81 runs, however, England sealed the three-match T20I series by beating Women in Blue by four wickets in the second T20I at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Indian batters just could not battle the English bowlers, with only Jemimah (30) and Smriti Mandhana (10) getting to double figures. England skittled out India for just 80 runs in 16.2 overs. In the defence of the target, Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma showed character, but that just was not enough. In the run chase of 81, India was off to a solid start as pacer Renuka Singh removed both openers Sophia Dunkley (9) and Danni Wyatt (0), reducing England to 19/2 in three overs. Alice Capsey, the young all-rounder joined forces with the veteran Nat-Sciver Brunt. At the end of the powerplay, England was 49/2 in six overs. England reached the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs. Their 42-run stand came to an end when Pooja Vastrakar cleaned up Sciver for 16. England was 61/3 in 7.5 overs. India staged a small fightback, with spinner Saika Ishaque picking up Capsey for 25. Deepti Sharma also removed Amy Jones (5) and Freya Kemp (0), but England with 73/6 in 10.3 overs was already close to the target Skipper Heather Knight (7*) and Sophie Ecclestone (9*) guided the team to a four-wicket win. Renuka (2/26) and Deepti (2/4) took two wickets for India while Saika and Pooja got one each. India lost the series 2-0. Earlier, England bowlers wreaked havoc on Indian batters to bundle out hosts for 80 in 16.2 overs in the third T20I of three-match series at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Every England bowler took a wicket while Charlotte Dean and Sarah Glenn bagged two wickets each. In a pretty abysmal batting performance from India, Jemimah Rodrigues was the lone warrior, scoring a vigilant 30 runs against a blistering English assault. ALSO READ | WPL 2024: All you need to know about complete squads after auctions including RCB, MI Opted to bowl first, Charlotte Dean drew first blood in the game as she removed opener Shafali Verma for a two-ball duck. Smriti Mandhana tried to handle the charge and slammed boundaries, but her innings came to an end as she was removed by Dean. In the 5th over, Harmanpreet Kaur slammed two back-to-back boundaries before she fell prey to Nat Sciver-Brunt after making 9 runs. Lauren Bell then cleaned up all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the 6th over. India kept losing wickets at regular intervals as Sophie Ecclestone removed Richa Ghosh for 4. It was assumed to be all over for India at the Wankhede after their team were reduced to 45/6 after 9.4 overs. India's nightmare continued in the game as well-set batter Jemimah Rodrigues departed after consecutive fours, leaving India tottering at 68-8 after 13 overs. England's Ecclestone ended India's hopes of going past 100 runs as she removed Saika Ishaque for 8 to bundle out hosts for 80.

IND-W vs ENG-W T20I Series: England overcome Indian fightback to secure four-wicket win, lead series by 2-0

<p>England Test captain Ben Stokes has successfully undergone knee surgery ahead of the India tour late in January. Stokes took to his Instagram handle where he posted a picture of himself as he now vows to comeback after rehabilitation. England will play India in a five-match Test series with bearings on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Stokes recently also was in the headlines after pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0PMTn0Mahf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ben Stokes (@stokesy)</a></p>
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<h2><strong>Stokes undergoes surgery</strong></h2>

<p>The England all-rounder has been troubled by a consistent knee issue that has limited his actions in recent times. Stokes only played Test cricket after the 2022 T20 World Cup winning campaign, only to be recalled into the ODI setup for the World Cup in India. His persistent knee issue also kept him out of the opening few matches of the ODI World Cup, before returning with a couple of hundreds in the global tournament.</p>

<p>Stokes was spotted with crutches in his Instagram post with captions reading, “In and Out. Under the knife done. Rehab starts now.”</p>

<p>The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to his captaincy career having not lost a single Test series with the national side. Having been appointed as the skipper in June 2022, Stokes has led England to series wins against New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan while also helping his side draw the Ashes 2-2 earlier this year.</p>

<p>His presence has been a big factor in England’s revival in the Test format as they challenge for a spot in the WTC final which will be held in 2025.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-likely-to-ask-rohit-sharma-to-lead-in-south-africa-t20i-series-reports-664373">BCCI likely to ask Rohit Sharma to lead in South Africa T20I series: Reports</a></p>

<h2><strong>England tour of India</strong></h2>

<p><strong>1st Test: Jan 25, Thu - Jan 29, Mon</strong> - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad</p>

<p><strong>2nd Test: Feb 02, Fri - Feb 06, Tue</strong> - Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam</p>

<p><strong>3rd Test: Feb 15, Thu - Feb 19, Mon</strong> - Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot</p>

<p><strong>4th Test: Feb 23, Fri - Feb 27, Tue</strong> - JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi</p>

<p><strong>5th Test: Mar 07, Thu - Mar 11, Mon</strong> - Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala</p>

<p>This will also be the first Test series for England without veteran star Stuart Broad, having announced his retirement after the Ashes. The likes of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes will be the key players for England during the tour.</p>


England Test captain Ben Stokes has successfully undergone knee surgery ahead of the India tour late in January. Stokes took to his Instagram handle where he posted a picture of himself as he now vows to comeback after rehabilitation.

England Test captain Ben Stokes has successfully undergone knee surgery ahead of the India tour late in January. Stokes took to his Instagram handle where he posted a picture of himself as he now vows to comeback after rehabilitation. England will play India in a five-match Test series with bearings on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Stokes recently also was in the headlines after pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Stokes (@stokesy) Stokes undergoes surgery The England all-rounder has been troubled by a consistent knee issue that has limited his actions in recent times. Stokes only played Test cricket after the 2022 T20 World Cup winning campaign, only to be recalled into the ODI setup for the World Cup in India. His persistent knee issue also kept him out of the opening few matches of the ODI World Cup, before returning with a couple of hundreds in the global tournament. Stokes was spotted with crutches in his Instagram post with captions reading, “In and Out. Under the knife done. Rehab starts now.” The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to his captaincy career having not lost a single Test series with the national side. Having been appointed as the skipper in June 2022, Stokes has led England to series wins against New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan while also helping his side draw the Ashes 2-2 earlier this year. His presence has been a big factor in England’s revival in the Test format as they challenge for a spot in the WTC final which will be held in 2025. ALSO READ | BCCI likely to ask Rohit Sharma to lead in South Africa T20I series: Reports England tour of India 1st Test: Jan 25, Thu - Jan 29, Mon - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad 2nd Test: Feb 02, Fri - Feb 06, Tue - Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam 3rd Test: Feb 15, Thu - Feb 19, Mon - Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot 4th Test: Feb 23, Fri - Feb 27, Tue - JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi 5th Test: Mar 07, Thu - Mar 11, Mon - Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala This will also be the first Test series for England without veteran star Stuart Broad, having announced his retirement after the Ashes. The likes of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes will be the key players for England during the tour.

England Test captain Ben Stokes successfully undergoes knee surgery ahead of India tour in February

<p>Former Indian captain Kapil Dev recently revealed that he is a big fan of Bazball, an attacking style of play which England have adopted in&nbsp;Tests since early 2022. The term Bazball came since Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach of Ben Stokes-led England's Test line-up, where players play more attacking at all times.&nbsp;Impressed with England's new brand of cricket, Kapil has urged Rohit Sharma-led India to also play more aggressively to get desired results in the purest format.</p>

<p>It is to be noted that India kicked off their campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle with a two-match Test series versus hosts West Indies, winning 1-0. They were in a dominant position in the second and final Test, in Trinidad, at stumps on Day Four. The visitors needed eight more wickets as West Indies were 76&nbsp;for 2 in chase of 365 but rain washed out the entire final day. Thus, Rohit &amp; Co. missed out on a likely series whitewash and adding more points in their kitty in the WTC cycle.</p>

<p>Kapil believes India should take a leaf out of England's Bazball as he hailed the recently-held Ashes 2023, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate in the United Kingdom.</p>

<h2><strong>'Ashes 2023 was one of the finest series'</strong></h2>

<p>"Bazball is wonderful. The series between England and Australia was one of the finest series I have seen in recent times. I think cricket should be played like that. Rohit is good. But he must be more aggressive," Kapil&nbsp;told The Times of India.</p>

<p>"You have to think about how teams like England play now. And it's not just us. All cricket-playing countries have to think on those lines. Winning the game should be the highest priority (not play for draws) for all teams," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wanted-virat-kohli-to-bat-at-no-4-during-cwc-19-reveals-former-india-coach-ravi-shastri-625923">Wanted Virat Kohli to bat at No. 4 during CWC '19, reveals former India coach Ravi Shastri</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about the Ashes, England conceded a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia after losing the opening two games by a whisker. Nonetheless, they did not deter from their aggressive approach as Bazball continued to inspire in the remainder of the series. As a result, the home side won the third Test by three wickets and were very close to a win in the following game before rain had the final say.</p>

<p>In the series decider, Stokes &amp; Co. won by 49 runs to prevent a series loss at home. However, Australia walked away by retaining the urn. The series was a memorable affair which displayed England's free-flowing approach -- termed as Bazball since McCullum took over --&nbsp;to the fore.</p>

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev recently revealed that he is a big fan of Bazball, an attacking style of play which England have adopted in Tests since early 2022.

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev recently revealed that he is a big fan of Bazball, an attacking style of play which England have adopted in Tests since early 2022. The term Bazball came since Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach of Ben Stokes-led England's Test line-up, where players play more attacking at all times. Impressed with England's new brand of cricket, Kapil has urged Rohit Sharma-led India to also play more aggressively to get desired results in the purest format. It is to be noted that India kicked off their campaign in the 2023-25 WTC cycle with a two-match Test series versus hosts West Indies, winning 1-0. They were in a dominant position in the second and final Test, in Trinidad, at stumps on Day Four. The visitors needed eight more wickets as West Indies were 76 for 2 in chase of 365 but rain washed out the entire final day. Thus, Rohit & Co. missed out on a likely series whitewash and adding more points in their kitty in the WTC cycle. Kapil believes India should take a leaf out of England's Bazball as he hailed the recently-held Ashes 2023, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate in the United Kingdom. 'Ashes 2023 was one of the finest series' "Bazball is wonderful. The series between England and Australia was one of the finest series I have seen in recent times. I think cricket should be played like that. Rohit is good. But he must be more aggressive," Kapil told The Times of India. "You have to think about how teams like England play now. And it's not just us. All cricket-playing countries have to think on those lines. Winning the game should be the highest priority (not play for draws) for all teams," he added. Also read: Wanted Virat Kohli to bat at No. 4 during CWC '19, reveals former India coach Ravi Shastri Talking about the Ashes, England conceded a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia after losing the opening two games by a whisker. Nonetheless, they did not deter from their aggressive approach as Bazball continued to inspire in the remainder of the series. As a result, the home side won the third Test by three wickets and were very close to a win in the following game before rain had the final say. In the series decider, Stokes & Co. won by 49 runs to prevent a series loss at home. However, Australia walked away by retaining the urn. The series was a memorable affair which displayed England's free-flowing approach -- termed as Bazball since McCullum took over -- to the fore. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rohit Sharma needs to be more aggressive: Kapil Dev advises Indian captain, cites Bazball example

<p>Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels Rohit Sharma-led India is the most balanced side at home. Hussain feels the Indian team outperforms every visiting line-up in the purest format of the game due to their perfect blend of youth and experience while playing in home conditions. It is to be noted that the Indian team has not lost a Test series on home soil since late 2012, when they lost 1-2 to England in four Tests.</p>

<h2><strong>'The balance of their side at home is just wonderful'</strong></h2>

<p>Speaking on the ICC Review, Hussain said, "They are brilliant at home...and the balance of their side at home is just wonderful. They've got senior players like Rohit and obviously Virat (Kohli) and they are just world class players and they've got youngsters coming in, like Shubman (Gill), who's going to be a superstar."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/my-odi-numbers-are-quite-poor-suryakumar-admits-to-50-over-struggles-after-blistering-83-in-3rd-t20i-vs-wi-623776">My ODI numbers are quite poor: Suryakumar admits to 50-over struggles after blistering 83 in 3rd T20I vs WI</a></strong></p>

<p>Hussain further opined that the Indian team will become a more formidable unit once Jasprit Bumrah achieves full fitness. The wily Indian speedster has been out of cricketing action since September 2022. He is set to make his much-awaited national comeback during India's three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, later this month.</p>

<p>In this regard, Hussain concluded, "If Jasprit (Bumrah) can come back as well, one of the great multi-format bowlers there is at the moment, if not the best, when fit. So, they've got those senior players and youngsters, and with the ball in India, those three all-rounders, and they are genuine all rounders in India - Axar (Patel), (Ravindra) Jadeja and (Ravichandran) Ashwin. That, for me, is a really balanced side because then you've got a No.7."</p>

<p>At present, India hold the No. 1 spot in ICC Test Rankings. They featured in the WTC final in both the cycles, since its inception in late 2019, but failed to lift the coveted Test mace, having lost the summit clash to New Zealand and Australia, respectively.<br />
<br />
Currently, India are preparing hard for the forthcoming ODI World Cup, to be held in India in October-November. Their next Test assignment will be post the ODI WC, i.e. a two-match Test series versus hosts South Africa in December.</p>

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Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels Rohit Sharma-led India is the most balanced side at home. Hussain feels the Indian team outperforms every visiting line-up in the purest format of the game due to their perfect blend of youth and experience while playing in home conditions.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels Rohit Sharma-led India is the most balanced side at home. Hussain feels the Indian team outperforms every visiting line-up in the purest format of the game due to their perfect blend of youth and experience while playing in home conditions. It is to be noted that the Indian team has not lost a Test series on home soil since late 2012, when they lost 1-2 to England in four Tests. 'The balance of their side at home is just wonderful' Speaking on the ICC Review, Hussain said, "They are brilliant at home...and the balance of their side at home is just wonderful. They've got senior players like Rohit and obviously Virat (Kohli) and they are just world class players and they've got youngsters coming in, like Shubman (Gill), who's going to be a superstar." Also read: My ODI numbers are quite poor: Suryakumar admits to 50-over struggles after blistering 83 in 3rd T20I vs WI Hussain further opined that the Indian team will become a more formidable unit once Jasprit Bumrah achieves full fitness. The wily Indian speedster has been out of cricketing action since September 2022. He is set to make his much-awaited national comeback during India's three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, later this month. In this regard, Hussain concluded, "If Jasprit (Bumrah) can come back as well, one of the great multi-format bowlers there is at the moment, if not the best, when fit. So, they've got those senior players and youngsters, and with the ball in India, those three all-rounders, and they are genuine all rounders in India - Axar (Patel), (Ravindra) Jadeja and (Ravichandran) Ashwin. That, for me, is a really balanced side because then you've got a No.7." At present, India hold the No. 1 spot in ICC Test Rankings. They featured in the WTC final in both the cycles, since its inception in late 2019, but failed to lift the coveted Test mace, having lost the summit clash to New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Currently, India are preparing hard for the forthcoming ODI World Cup, to be held in India in October-November. Their next Test assignment will be post the ODI WC, i.e. a two-match Test series versus hosts South Africa in December. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India most balanced Test side at home: Former England captain Nasser Hussain lauds Rohit Sharma & Co.

<p>England and Australia were involved in a highly-competitive Ashes 2023, which concluded on Monday (July 31). Ben Stokes &amp; Co. conceded an unassailable 2-1 lead to Australia after the fourth and penultimate Test ended in a draw but came back strongly in the fifth and final match to win by 49 runs. As a result, the five-Test series&nbsp;ended in a 2-2 stalemate. The series also saw the end of Stuart Broad's international career, who announced a shock retirement during the final Test.</p>

<p>Broad took the last two wickets of the series and also slammed a six on the last ball he faced. While many believed it would have been James Anderson who would have called it quits, Broad surprised one and all. Broad was the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, ending with 22 scalps. Meanwhile, his partner Anderson struggled and managed only five scalps in as many games. Thus, a lot has been said and written about the 41-year-old Anderson's future. However, former England captain-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain believes he will remain crucial for England's tour of India, early next year.</p>

<h2>'Jimmy's got a very good record against India'</h2>

<p>During an episode of the ICC Review, Hussain said, "I think, especially with Broad going, I would like that experience (in India),". The former cricketer was also quick to question&nbsp;the availability of Chris Woakes -- England's Player-of-the-Series in Ashes 2023 -- when "you don't have Broad", stressing for the experienced Anderson to step up.&nbsp;"Jimmy's got a very good record against India and you need a balanced attack," Hussain further pointed out.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2023-england-australia-docked-points-in-double-digits-for-slow-over-rate-621712">Ashes 2023: England, Australia docked points in double digits for slow over rate</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'You are a fool if you're writing off Jimmy Anderson'</strong></h2>

<p>He added, "You are a fool if you're writing off Jimmy Anderson. He was like, the hunger is still there. He's already thinking about how to get back to his best." Anderson will be crucial to England's chances of winning a Test series in India after 2012/13. Back then, Anderson chipped in with key wickets in Alastair Cook-led England's historic 2-1 series triumph over hosts India.&nbsp;</p>

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England and Australia were involved in a highly-competitive Ashes 2023, which concluded on Monday (July 31). Ben Stokes & Co. conceded an unassailable 2-1 lead to Australia after the fourth and penultimate Test ended in a draw but came back strongly in the fifth and final match to win by 49 runs.

England and Australia were involved in a highly-competitive Ashes 2023, which concluded on Monday (July 31). Ben Stokes & Co. conceded an unassailable 2-1 lead to Australia after the fourth and penultimate Test ended in a draw but came back strongly in the fifth and final match to win by 49 runs. As a result, the five-Test series ended in a 2-2 stalemate. The series also saw the end of Stuart Broad's international career, who announced a shock retirement during the final Test. Broad took the last two wickets of the series and also slammed a six on the last ball he faced. While many believed it would have been James Anderson who would have called it quits, Broad surprised one and all. Broad was the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, ending with 22 scalps. Meanwhile, his partner Anderson struggled and managed only five scalps in as many games. Thus, a lot has been said and written about the 41-year-old Anderson's future. However, former England captain-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain believes he will remain crucial for England's tour of India, early next year. 'Jimmy's got a very good record against India' During an episode of the ICC Review, Hussain said, "I think, especially with Broad going, I would like that experience (in India),". The former cricketer was also quick to question the availability of Chris Woakes -- England's Player-of-the-Series in Ashes 2023 -- when "you don't have Broad", stressing for the experienced Anderson to step up. "Jimmy's got a very good record against India and you need a balanced attack," Hussain further pointed out. Also read: Ashes 2023: England, Australia docked points in double digits for slow over rate 'You are a fool if you're writing off Jimmy Anderson' He added, "You are a fool if you're writing off Jimmy Anderson. He was like, the hunger is still there. He's already thinking about how to get back to his best." Anderson will be crucial to England's chances of winning a Test series in India after 2012/13. Back then, Anderson chipped in with key wickets in Alastair Cook-led England's historic 2-1 series triumph over hosts India. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'You are fool if...': Nasser Hussain backs James Anderson to deliver in India tour after dismal Ashes 2023

<p>Ben Stokes-led England beat Australia by 49 runs in the fifth and final Test of Ashes 2023 to end the high-voltage series at 2-2. The final day's play resumed with Australia 135 for no loss in pursuit of 384&nbsp;at The Oval.&nbsp;The visitors were strongly placed at 264 for 3 before Chris Woakes (4 for 50), Moeen Ali (3 for 76) and Stuart Broad (2 for 62) dismissed Australia for 334 and led their side to an emphatic win.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With this win, England managed to draw the series and stopped Pat Cummins-led Australia from clinching the series 3-1. Had Australia won the final Test, it would have been their first-ever glory in England since 2001, however, the English line-up earned an inspiring win eventually. A lot was said and written about England's Bazball approach in the run-up to the just-concluded Ashes. It was said that England would have to pay the price for their aggressive and high-risk strategy against the formidable Australian side. While they were on the brink of a series loss, England stuck to their approach throughout and eventually managed a 2-2 scoreline.</p>

<p>After Ashes 2023, Stokes was asked, in the post-match press conference, whether England's Bazball will work in their next tour, i.e. a five-match Test series versus India in India. To this, the England Test captain opined, "I&nbsp;remember when we beat New Zealand 3-0, (the chatter) was we couldn't do it against South Africa, (we) couldn't do it against Pakistan, (we) couldn't do it against Australia. So who knows if we can do it against India, only time will tell."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-great-stuart-broads-swansong-ends-on-a-high-with-peach-to-dismiss-alex-carey-watch-621272">England great Stuart Broad's swansong ends on a high with PEACH to dismiss Alex Carey - WATCH</a></strong></p>

<p>England won't be seen playing the purest form of the game for a few months as the focus now mainly shifts to the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, to be held in India later this year. However, Stokes &amp; Co.'s next big assignment in the ongoing WTC 2023-25 cycle is the five Tests versus hosts India, which kicks off early next year. All eyes are now on the marquee series as it will be interesting to see how the English side sticks to their aggressive approach in the subcontinent, versus India's formidable spinners such as R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, etc.&nbsp;</p>

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Ben Stokes-led England beat Australia by 49 runs in the fifth and final Test of Ashes 2023 to end the high-voltage series at 2-2. The final day's play resumed with Australia 135 for no loss in pursuit of 384 at The Oval.

Ben Stokes-led England beat Australia by 49 runs in the fifth and final Test of Ashes 2023 to end the high-voltage series at 2-2. The final day's play resumed with Australia 135 for no loss in pursuit of 384 at The Oval. The visitors were strongly placed at 264 for 3 before Chris Woakes (4 for 50), Moeen Ali (3 for 76) and Stuart Broad (2 for 62) dismissed Australia for 334 and led their side to an emphatic win. With this win, England managed to draw the series and stopped Pat Cummins-led Australia from clinching the series 3-1. Had Australia won the final Test, it would have been their first-ever glory in England since 2001, however, the English line-up earned an inspiring win eventually. A lot was said and written about England's Bazball approach in the run-up to the just-concluded Ashes. It was said that England would have to pay the price for their aggressive and high-risk strategy against the formidable Australian side. While they were on the brink of a series loss, England stuck to their approach throughout and eventually managed a 2-2 scoreline. After Ashes 2023, Stokes was asked, in the post-match press conference, whether England's Bazball will work in their next tour, i.e. a five-match Test series versus India in India. To this, the England Test captain opined, "I remember when we beat New Zealand 3-0, (the chatter) was we couldn't do it against South Africa, (we) couldn't do it against Pakistan, (we) couldn't do it against Australia. So who knows if we can do it against India, only time will tell." Also read: England great Stuart Broad's swansong ends on a high with PEACH to dismiss Alex Carey - WATCH England won't be seen playing the purest form of the game for a few months as the focus now mainly shifts to the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, to be held in India later this year. However, Stokes & Co.'s next big assignment in the ongoing WTC 2023-25 cycle is the five Tests versus hosts India, which kicks off early next year. All eyes are now on the marquee series as it will be interesting to see how the English side sticks to their aggressive approach in the subcontinent, versus India's formidable spinners such as R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, etc. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Will Bazball be a success against India? England skipper Ben Stokes responds

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d9a7c262-f6f9-4045-8416-18919cd4e39b}{175}" paraid="1013646756" >England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai&nbsp;and the&nbsp;visitors including former English cricketers&nbsp;were&nbsp;ecstatic&nbsp;over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions.&nbsp;However, things changed&nbsp;drastically&nbsp;as India reverted to their preferred choice of pitches. Praises turned into criticism&nbsp;but interestingly,&nbsp;the critics have been more interested in the pitch while ignoring the poor batting on display – mainly by the England batsmen.&nbsp;In the second Test in Chennai, England suffered a thrashing of 317 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{351e2d1f-4ba8-420c-bf27-f021f5df683c}{143}" paraid="668045540" >While voices started to echo about the ‘rank turner and 'dustbowl’,&nbsp;they mostly remained&nbsp;suppressed&nbsp;due to the fact that&nbsp;two Indian batsmen (Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin) scored a century each while three (Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli) ended up bagging half-centuries in the match.&nbsp;Compare that with England's performance, their highest scorers over the second Chennai Test were Moeen Ali (43) and Ben Foakes (42). England's struggle against spin was evident at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as it was exploited by the likes of&nbsp;Lasith&nbsp;Embuldeniya&nbsp;in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ad4008e1-876a-465b-adce-35d66bdae912}{148}" paraid="40747141" >The focus shifted to the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which just before hosting its first-ever Test match after being refurbished completely&nbsp;was named after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{396f91c3-fab2-4068-8df4-0121334ff191}{128}" paraid="1134325925" >As the grandeur of the 1.32 lakh capacity Narendra Modi Stadium set in on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test, England skipper Joe Root&nbsp;quickly opted to bat first after winning the coin flip.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1bbef0ba-f442-4036-ac54-d0be154421f2}{154}" paraid="936369395" >What followed was sheer domination by Indian spinners&nbsp;–&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin&nbsp;-&nbsp;as the duo scalped 18 out of the 20 England wickets to wrap up the game in just two days.&nbsp;While critics, mostly non-Indians were quick to point all their fingers towards the pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium, it seemed like there was a sense of sheer ignorance&nbsp;over England's abysmal batting performance&nbsp;or over the fact that there have been only 16 Day/Night Tests so far in international cricket and the chances are likely,&nbsp;that due to lack of matches in pink-ball under the lights,&nbsp;players can end up struggling.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3dec0599-de71-40de-8336-a2050f73825a}{104}" paraid="224493723" >It was clear with the way both India and England lined up for the match. While England went with three pacers excluding Ben Stokes, India went with three spin options with Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;and Washington Sundar at the helm. One could say, England&nbsp;failed to read the conditions like many other teams have done over the past when playing matches in England, Australia, South Africa or any other country and went on to lose the game. But the critics chose to blame the pitch, urging ICC to dock points&nbsp;for India, even when there was no drastic turn on offer&nbsp;on&nbsp;the Ahmedabad strip.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{45481821-5851-45f8-a293-460cd213daff}{218}" paraid="1570070508" >The likes of&nbsp;Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan,&nbsp;Monty Panesar, David Llyod among other notable voices in cricket fraternity chose to lambast India's&nbsp;choice of pitches when it comes to playing Test matches&nbsp;but interestingly, none of them had&nbsp;an issue when the ball was seaming around for four days during the West Indies’ tour of England in the year 2020.&nbsp;But the outcry isn't surprising, remember the reactions when Ashwin decided to run-out (Mankad) England batsman Jos Buttler in IPL? One could understand what Ashwin meant with the series of tweets he put out recently.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{45481821-5851-45f8-a293-460cd213daff}{218}" paraid="1570070508" ><strong>IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/team-india-beat-england-in-pink-ball-test-at-worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-366282" hreflang="en">Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us</p>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1365194203219722240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Finally. We can always have and stand by our opinions even if it’s against the majority as long as we know that it is our own and not the one thats been sold to us!<br />
<br />
“The choice is always ours”</p>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1365194208059879427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>More interestingly, no one had&nbsp;an issue&nbsp;when New Zealand prepared&nbsp;'green mambas’&nbsp;when they hosted the likes of India (in February 2020), West Indies (in December 2020) and recently Pakistan (in December-January 2020-21).&nbsp;The argument came, the live grass was "deceptive" in nature.&nbsp;While the visiting teams struggled,&nbsp;New Zealand&nbsp;were sublime in their home conditions and bagged results that ensured a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. It seems like everyone loves a packed slip cordon when Tests are being played in England and Australia but get frustrated to see close-in fielders coming in early in India.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d9a7c262-f6f9-4045-8416-18919cd4e39b}{191}" paraid="1615906729" >Critics came out from their caves on the top of their voices as soon as Indian spinners started to bamboozle England batsmen.&nbsp;What should have been a good debate, turned out to be an outcry. So much so,&nbsp;that veteran spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon came out to express their views on the matter.&nbsp;Ashwin came out all guns blazing in a press conference, dated February 27, two days after the third Ahmedabad Test was wrapped up.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d9a7c262-f6f9-4045-8416-18919cd4e39b}{191}" paraid="1615906729" ><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/everyone-in-the-world-starts-crying-nathan-lyon-gives-his-verdict-on-ahmedabad-pitch-366756" hreflang="en">'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Entertaining .. YES .. but this is a awful pitch for Test cricket .. !!!! Complete lottery on day 2 !! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a></p>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1364916182588010496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>"I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," Ashwin addressed the virtual press conference&nbsp;attended by both UK and Indian&nbsp;media.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{6e1105f4-f53a-4039-a469-0ebc2d8bc014}{132}" paraid="585418451" >"I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{6e1105f4-f53a-4039-a469-0ebc2d8bc014}{143}" paraid="1699457209" >"The bowler wins the&nbsp;game,&nbsp;the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🗣️ 🗣️ "We have never complained about the pitch in the past."<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>'s ace spinner <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a> sets the record straight.<a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/K2V4OvBQDn">pic.twitter.com/K2V4OvBQDn</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1365658192554852353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>India planned well,&nbsp;utilised&nbsp;their resources to perfection, brought&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel into the action&nbsp;with the ball, in the sixth over of the match,&nbsp;in a bid to trouble the England batsmen with that extra lacquer on the pink-ball. The plan&nbsp;should have been branded a "masterpiece"&nbsp;but then&nbsp;a terrific performance was diverted by the pundits towards the pitch, which they termed&nbsp;"lacklustre"&nbsp;and&nbsp;"poor advertisement"&nbsp;for Test cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{fc404425-6658-4d54-9b7b-e860b22caf5f}{108}" paraid="1986803494" >But they should, at the same time, look at the batting display by the England batsmen as well. Even Indian batsmen were poor with their footwork and shot selection in the third Test, which was pointed out by Virat Kohli during the post-match presentation. But&nbsp;the likes of Andrew Strauss thought the Indian skipper was defending the pitch as if it is a BCCI style.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{072a3da2-9e5e-4cda-a474-e81d750bdff2}{86}" paraid="1820189088" >“To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and then got bowled out for less than 150. It was just the oddball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the first innings. It was&nbsp;bizarre&nbsp;that 21 of the 30 wickets fell to straight balls, Test cricket is about trusting your&nbsp;defence. Lack of application ensured it was a quick finish,” the Indian skipper had said.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d9a7c262-f6f9-4045-8416-18919cd4e39b}{223}" paraid="1147669154" >Kohli was&nbsp;correct to some extent. Experienced English batsman Jonny Bairstow missed straight deliveries in both innings by&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel to bag a pair.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d6ee1ac5-54f9-4fd8-9c79-1ee1b890c7d5}{216}" paraid="330676693" >Half of the Englishmen were anticipating spin as they&nbsp;threw their wickets away to&nbsp;Axar, who was simply relentless with his line and length after getting a hang of the wicket&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;on his local ground. He didn't spin the ball much or neither did the pitch assist him in getting&nbsp;big turns.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<img alt="India vs England, 3rd Test (Photo: BCCI)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e0f7b783-4d84-41b1-a7cc-9a50b6e141cc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/IND-ENG-1.JPG" />
<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d6ee1ac5-54f9-4fd8-9c79-1ee1b890c7d5}{232}" paraid="1682866413" >And for Bairstow's technique in the second innings, the gap between the pad and bat was wider than&nbsp;road twists at Monaco Grand Prix. Like Bairstow, every England batters’ technique was flawed as they pressed&nbsp;forward and anticipated spin despite the ball skidding on. Poor cricket? Yes.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{eba17349-38b0-4f45-8071-15e8ec6d756a}{94}" paraid="1877889273" >It was just the case of extra lacquer of the pink-ball or 'glare' as&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;said in a post-day press conference, helping the ball skid and rush the batters. For the visitors, they kept on missing the line of the stumps. The&nbsp;much-talked-about&nbsp;umpires’ call did help the Indians get some of those wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{eba17349-38b0-4f45-8071-15e8ec6d756a}{110}" paraid="916395044" >Even the Indian batsmen missed deliveries by Jack Leach which didn't spin much. The case of inexperience in the pink-ball Test comes into play here and not only for India but for England as well.&nbsp;But the critics chose to blame the curator, the BCCI for “not ready for Test cricket” pitch.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d9a7c262-f6f9-4045-8416-18919cd4e39b}{247}" paraid="759589051" >And for those&nbsp;urging ICC to rate the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium as ‘poor' or 'below average’, they must read the rating rules put in place by the ICC.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ebc630fc-671c-48ce-a79e-649ae38e5ad5}{158}" paraid="171701220" >For a pitch to&nbsp;be rated as 'poor',&nbsp;it needs to offer excessive spin movement early in the match or excessive unevenness of bounce. For a pitch to be rated as ‘below average', the strip needs to offer either very little carry/or bounce or&nbsp;occasional&nbsp;variable&nbsp;bounce/carry.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{c86955c7-cd18-45fe-bc11-768120637b82}{80}" paraid="364550285" >Was there an excessive spin on offer on Day 1 and Day 2 of the pitch? No. Only Joe Root, with his sidearm action, zipped through and got a few deliveries to spin. Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;and Leach&nbsp;occasionally&nbsp;bowled some deliveries that spun sharply. But it was inconsistent and something for which one can't rate the pitch as poor.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{a9da3674-0ca0-4bbb-9627-7c3593d0a370}{244}" paraid="431743979" >One could understand the frustration of broadcasters who shell out a heavy sum&nbsp;and expect full five days of Test cricket. But teams play to win and it is not the players’ fault if the opposition batsmen are missing straight deliveries and displaying a poor sense of cricketing technique.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{65a2aaa7-7029-4a3b-9545-fd8974bf230f}{188}" paraid="1839268203" >Dom Sibley's dismissal in the second innings sums up how the Englishmen applied themselves. To try and play against the line of the ball with little or no technique – against a bowler who picked up six wickets in the first innings&nbsp;–&nbsp;is super ambitious. Is that acceptable? Maybe a few former English cricketers could&nbsp;analyse&nbsp;and answer that.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ab53073a-0780-4751-99d1-adf909b46f80}{16}" paraid="939063220" >Test cricket is regarded as the toughest format of the game. When Asian teams visit countries like England, Australia, South Africa – it is built up as a test of their temperament and technique.&nbsp;The same is said when SENA teams visit Asian conditions but following some poor performances, the focus doesn't remain on&nbsp;cricket,&nbsp;it gets diverted towards the pitch and conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ab53073a-0780-4751-99d1-adf909b46f80}{16}" paraid="939063220" >Maybe it is time when some critics start following what a great man once said, "focus on cricket, not on pitches”.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{a63d05aa-35b3-448d-8f83-98c294617052}{16}" paraid="679654603" >&nbsp;</p>


England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai and the visitors including former English cricketers were ecstatic over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions.

England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai and the visitors including former English cricketers were ecstatic over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions. However, things changed drastically as India reverted to their preferred choice of pitches. Praises turned into criticism but interestingly, the critics have been more interested in the pitch while ignoring the poor batting on display – mainly by the England batsmen. In the second Test in Chennai, England suffered a thrashing of 317 runs. While voices started to echo about the ‘rank turner and 'dustbowl’, they mostly remained suppressed due to the fact that two Indian batsmen (Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin) scored a century each while three (Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli) ended up bagging half-centuries in the match. Compare that with England's performance, their highest scorers over the second Chennai Test were Moeen Ali (43) and Ben Foakes (42). England's struggle against spin was evident at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as it was exploited by the likes of Lasith Embuldeniya in Sri Lanka. The focus shifted to the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which just before hosting its first-ever Test match after being refurbished completely was named after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the grandeur of the 1.32 lakh capacity Narendra Modi Stadium set in on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test, England skipper Joe Root quickly opted to bat first after winning the coin flip. What followed was sheer domination by Indian spinners – Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin - as the duo scalped 18 out of the 20 England wickets to wrap up the game in just two days. While critics, mostly non-Indians were quick to point all their fingers towards the pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium, it seemed like there was a sense of sheer ignorance over England's abysmal batting performance or over the fact that there have been only 16 Day/Night Tests so far in international cricket and the chances are likely, that due to lack of matches in pink-ball under the lights, players can end up struggling. It was clear with the way both India and England lined up for the match. While England went with three pacers excluding Ben Stokes, India went with three spin options with Ashwin, Axar and Washington Sundar at the helm. One could say, England failed to read the conditions like many other teams have done over the past when playing matches in England, Australia, South Africa or any other country and went on to lose the game. But the critics chose to blame the pitch, urging ICC to dock points for India, even when there was no drastic turn on offer on the Ahmedabad strip. The likes of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, David Llyod among other notable voices in cricket fraternity chose to lambast India's choice of pitches when it comes to playing Test matches but interestingly, none of them had an issue when the ball was seaming around for four days during the West Indies’ tour of England in the year 2020. But the outcry isn't surprising, remember the reactions when Ashwin decided to run-out (Mankad) England batsman Jos Buttler in IPL? One could understand what Ashwin meant with the series of tweets he put out recently. IN PICS: Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 26, 2021 × Finally. We can always have and stand by our opinions even if it’s against the majority as long as we know that it is our own and not the one thats been sold to us! “The choice is always ours” — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 26, 2021 × More interestingly, no one had an issue when New Zealand prepared 'green mambas’ when they hosted the likes of India (in February 2020), West Indies (in December 2020) and recently Pakistan (in December-January 2020-21). The argument came, the live grass was "deceptive" in nature. While the visiting teams struggled, New Zealand were sublime in their home conditions and bagged results that ensured a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. It seems like everyone loves a packed slip cordon when Tests are being played in England and Australia but get frustrated to see close-in fielders coming in early in India. Critics came out from their caves on the top of their voices as soon as Indian spinners started to bamboozle England batsmen. What should have been a good debate, turned out to be an outcry. So much so, that veteran spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon came out to express their views on the matter. Ashwin came out all guns blazing in a press conference, dated February 27, two days after the third Ahmedabad Test was wrapped up. ALSO READ: 'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch Entertaining .. YES .. but this is a awful pitch for Test cricket .. !!!! Complete lottery on day 2 !! #INDvENG — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 25, 2021 × "I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," Ashwin addressed the virtual press conference attended by both UK and Indian media. "I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice. "The bowler wins the game, the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface." 🗣️ 🗣️ "We have never complained about the pitch in the past."#TeamIndia's ace spinner @ashwinravi99 sets the record straight.@Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/K2V4OvBQDn — BCCI (@BCCI) February 27, 2021 × India planned well, utilised their resources to perfection, brought Axar Patel into the action with the ball, in the sixth over of the match, in a bid to trouble the England batsmen with that extra lacquer on the pink-ball. The plan should have been branded a "masterpiece" but then a terrific performance was diverted by the pundits towards the pitch, which they termed "lacklustre" and "poor advertisement" for Test cricket. But they should, at the same time, look at the batting display by the England batsmen as well. Even Indian batsmen were poor with their footwork and shot selection in the third Test, which was pointed out by Virat Kohli during the post-match presentation. But the likes of Andrew Strauss thought the Indian skipper was defending the pitch as if it is a BCCI style. “To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and then got bowled out for less than 150. It was just the oddball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the first innings. It was bizarre that 21 of the 30 wickets fell to straight balls, Test cricket is about trusting your defence. Lack of application ensured it was a quick finish,” the Indian skipper had said. Kohli was correct to some extent. Experienced English batsman Jonny Bairstow missed straight deliveries in both innings by Axar Patel to bag a pair. Half of the Englishmen were anticipating spin as they threw their wickets away to Axar, who was simply relentless with his line and length after getting a hang of the wicket quickly on his local ground. He didn't spin the ball much or neither did the pitch assist him in getting big turns. And for Bairstow's technique in the second innings, the gap between the pad and bat was wider than road twists at Monaco Grand Prix. Like Bairstow, every England batters’ technique was flawed as they pressed forward and anticipated spin despite the ball skidding on. Poor cricket? Yes. It was just the case of extra lacquer of the pink-ball or 'glare' as Axar said in a post-day press conference, helping the ball skid and rush the batters. For the visitors, they kept on missing the line of the stumps. The much-talked-about umpires’ call did help the Indians get some of those wickets. Even the Indian batsmen missed deliveries by Jack Leach which didn't spin much. The case of inexperience in the pink-ball Test comes into play here and not only for India but for England as well. But the critics chose to blame the curator, the BCCI for “not ready for Test cricket” pitch. And for those urging ICC to rate the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium as ‘poor' or 'below average’, they must read the rating rules put in place by the ICC. For a pitch to be rated as 'poor', it needs to offer excessive spin movement early in the match or excessive unevenness of bounce. For a pitch to be rated as ‘below average', the strip needs to offer either very little carry/or bounce or occasional variable bounce/carry. Was there an excessive spin on offer on Day 1 and Day 2 of the pitch? No. Only Joe Root, with his sidearm action, zipped through and got a few deliveries to spin. Ashwin, Axar and Leach occasionally bowled some deliveries that spun sharply. But it was inconsistent and something for which one can't rate the pitch as poor. One could understand the frustration of broadcasters who shell out a heavy sum and expect full five days of Test cricket. But teams play to win and it is not the players’ fault if the opposition batsmen are missing straight deliveries and displaying a poor sense of cricketing technique. Dom Sibley's dismissal in the second innings sums up how the Englishmen applied themselves. To try and play against the line of the ball with little or no technique – against a bowler who picked up six wickets in the first innings – is super ambitious. Is that acceptable? Maybe a few former English cricketers could analyse and answer that. Test cricket is regarded as the toughest format of the game. When Asian teams visit countries like England, Australia, South Africa – it is built up as a test of their temperament and technique. The same is said when SENA teams visit Asian conditions but following some poor performances, the focus doesn't remain on cricket, it gets diverted towards the pitch and conditions. Maybe it is time when some critics start following what a great man once said, "focus on cricket, not on pitches”.

Poor pitch in Ahmedabad or abysmal batting performance?

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{bce2c397-ab37-4a75-97f9-8e30b7d05985}{202}" paraid="118790922" >England's red-ball captain Joe Root on Thursday confirmed that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will return to the squad for their Test series against India, starting from February 5, as he said that the duo will give the visitors a&nbsp;"major boost”.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{55192adb-7b47-48b1-a479-b92e9f1679e4}{108}" paraid="2018934061" >Both Stokes and Archer are the missing names from England's ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka due to rotation during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{75769b3a-0a33-41de-a8c6-35934cc6151d}{106}" paraid="1692503003" >England, despite missing two of their biggest stars, defeated Sri Lanka in the first Test comprehensively and lead the two-match series 1-0. After the completion of Sri Lanka tour, England will head straight to India, who&nbsp;have been boosted by their historic Test&nbsp;series&nbsp;win&nbsp;against Australia this week, to lock horns in a full-fledged series including four Test matches.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{75769b3a-0a33-41de-a8c6-35934cc6151d}{106}" paraid="1692503003" ><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hanuma-vihari-reveals-rahul-dravids-message-after-sydney-heroics-358303" hreflang="en">Hanuma Vihari reveals Rahul Dravid's message after Sydney heroics</a></strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{831682ca-f0ee-4e89-ab04-2cf24d8f88ce}{71}" paraid="1024779828" >"I expect India to be full of confidence and in their own conditions, they are a very good team. They play some very good cricket,"&nbsp;Root&nbsp;told reporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1c1c2029-1b8a-4d65-84ba-97daeaa21a2a}{203}" paraid="308597050" >"We have to be at our absolute best. But that's an exciting prospect for us, a great opportunity for us, it's a great way to aid our development as a side.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1c1c2029-1b8a-4d65-84ba-97daeaa21a2a}{221}" paraid="879972860" >"And we will be going there fully expecting to try and win that series. But we have got a lot of hard work to do before we get there. We got a big Test match here."&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1c1c2029-1b8a-4d65-84ba-97daeaa21a2a}{230}" paraid="101853896" >&nbsp;Root slammed an incredible 228 to help England win the opening Test by seven wickets in Galle. The visitors also announced that James Anderson will be replacing Stuart Broad in the playing XI for the second Test.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1c1c2029-1b8a-4d65-84ba-97daeaa21a2a}{230}" paraid="101853896" ><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-ravindra-jadeja-ruled-out-of-england-test-series-358289" hreflang="en">India's Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of England Test series</a></strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{88b3cbc2-cdf3-4b4f-a05b-d5b6f72dc3e9}{86}" paraid="1098920831" >"You speak to any side in the world, those two guys coming back into it would give the squad a huge boost and it's certainly the case for us," said Root.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ffdb490b-c165-436a-a0e3-ac817c73ad8f}{65}" paraid="777002866" >"We (will be) excited to see them back in and around the squad. Hopefully, they are full of energy and ready to go when they get here."&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ffdb490b-c165-436a-a0e3-ac817c73ad8f}{155}" paraid="1207365427" >England&nbsp;are set to&nbsp;travel to India from Sri Lanka with the first Test scheduled in Chennai on February 5. The visitors&nbsp;will also play five T20I&nbsp;matches and three&nbsp;ODIs.&nbsp;</p>


England's red-ball captain Joe Root on Thursday confirmed that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will return to the squad for their Test series against India, starting from February 5, as he said that the duo will give the visitors a "major boost”.

England's red-ball captain Joe Root on Thursday confirmed that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will return to the squad for their Test series against India, starting from February 5, as he said that the duo will give the visitors a "major boost”. Both Stokes and Archer are the missing names from England's ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka due to rotation during the COVID-19 pandemic. England, despite missing two of their biggest stars, defeated Sri Lanka in the first Test comprehensively and lead the two-match series 1-0. After the completion of Sri Lanka tour, England will head straight to India, who have been boosted by their historic Test series win against Australia this week, to lock horns in a full-fledged series including four Test matches. ALSO READ: Hanuma Vihari reveals Rahul Dravid's message after Sydney heroics "I expect India to be full of confidence and in their own conditions, they are a very good team. They play some very good cricket," Root told reporters. "We have to be at our absolute best. But that's an exciting prospect for us, a great opportunity for us, it's a great way to aid our development as a side. "And we will be going there fully expecting to try and win that series. But we have got a lot of hard work to do before we get there. We got a big Test match here." Root slammed an incredible 228 to help England win the opening Test by seven wickets in Galle. The visitors also announced that James Anderson will be replacing Stuart Broad in the playing XI for the second Test. ALSO READ: India's Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of England Test series "You speak to any side in the world, those two guys coming back into it would give the squad a huge boost and it's certainly the case for us," said Root. "We (will be) excited to see them back in and around the squad. Hopefully, they are full of energy and ready to go when they get here." England are set to travel to India from Sri Lanka with the first Test scheduled in Chennai on February 5. The visitors will also play five T20I matches and three ODIs.

Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes to give England 'huge boost' vs India: England captain Joe Root

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{10ee811e-8cd7-4871-8e1e-c579ade0a203}{138}" paraid="807324970" >Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has fired a friendly warning to the Indian cricket team as the Men in Blue gear up for a full-fledged home series against England starting from February 5. Pietersen took to social media platform Twitter to&nbsp;post in Hindi language as he said that India must celebrate after historic series win against Australia but warned the Virat Kohli-led side that the real challenge will start when England lands in India for the series.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{10ee811e-8cd7-4871-8e1e-c579ade0a203}{20}" paraid="674951944" ><strong>The former England player tweeted:</strong> “India – yeh&nbsp;aitihaasik&nbsp;jeet ka&nbsp;jashn&nbsp;manaye&nbsp;kyuki&nbsp;yeh&nbsp;sabhi&nbsp;baadhao&nbsp;ke&nbsp;khilaap&nbsp;hasil&nbsp;hui&nbsp;hai&nbsp;. LEKIN, ASLI TEAM&nbsp;toh&nbsp;kuch&nbsp;hafto&nbsp;baad&nbsp;a&nbsp;rahi&nbsp;hai&nbsp;jisse&nbsp;aapko&nbsp;harana&nbsp;hoga&nbsp;apne&nbsp;ghar&nbsp;mein&nbsp;.&nbsp;Satark&nbsp;rahe, 2&nbsp;saptaah&nbsp;mein&nbsp;bahut&nbsp;adhik&nbsp;jashn&nbsp;manaane&nbsp;se&nbsp;saavadhaan&nbsp;rahen&nbsp;(This is a historic win and you must celebrate as it has been achieved despite all obstacles. However, the real challenge comes your way in a few weeks as England are touring, and you have to beat them at home. Be careful, refrain from celebrating too much in the coming two weeks.”&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{10ee811e-8cd7-4871-8e1e-c579ade0a203}{20}" paraid="674951944" ><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-test-rankings-rishabh-pant-joe-root-touch-new-high-after-epic-shows-357905" hreflang="en">ICC Test Rankings: Rishabh Pant, Joe Root touch new high after epic shows</a></strong></p>

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<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">India 🇮🇳 - yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai<br />
<br />
LEKIN , ASLI TEAM 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 😉 toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein .<br />
<br />
Satark rahe , 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen 😉</p>
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1351501549013504001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>India, despite injuries to key players, defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series while also ending Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak at the Gabba after splendid show by&nbsp;Shubman&nbsp;Gill,&nbsp;Cheteshwar&nbsp;Pujara and Rishabh Pant in the second innings of the match.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{99eb5885-7879-4282-8363-e134921d5f26}{85}" paraid="53165240" >While Indian fans are in a celebratory mood, England pose a threat in what will be their&nbsp;full-fledged tour of India starting from February.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1aad4f7a-b505-456a-a7ce-0b045a6967ce}{185}" paraid="1815603093" >England will play four Test, five T20Is and three ODI starting from February 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1aad4f7a-b505-456a-a7ce-0b045a6967ce}{185}" paraid="1815603093" ><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-thanks-bcci-on-successful-tour-salutes-team-indias-courage-and-skill-357897" hreflang="en">Cricket Australia thanks BCCI on successful tour, salutes Team India's 'courage and skill'</a></strong></p>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{a76e159a-5fce-4c16-8799-e80ec05df82e}{198}" paraid="346901802" >England tour of India – Full Schedule:&nbsp;</h2>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5723d7c9-21f0-4d08-9e97-2cc3fcd1a720}{227}" paraid="1748945095" >India vs England, 1st&nbsp;Test:&nbsp;February&nbsp;5-9 in Chennai&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5baf9679-d192-499b-8b28-7cdc37ef918f}{54}" paraid="1985640383" >India vs England, 2nd&nbsp;Test: February 13-17 in Chennai&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{089fef62-b30a-4930-8640-4a34642ae061}{230}" paraid="1023655906" >India vs England, 3rd&nbsp;Test: February 24-28 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{488203ea-acde-4736-ad71-f6862a50248e}{169}" paraid="1652164728" >India vs England, 4th&nbsp;Test: March 4-8 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{01117a82-cb29-4219-afef-c0a577e43a2a}{48}" paraid="412727902" >India vs England, 1st&nbsp;T20I: March 12 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{10d00a83-94dc-444d-ba10-38c739f29114}{210}" paraid="303382819" >India vs England, 2nd&nbsp;T20I: March 14 in&nbsp;Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{537ed2cd-1cf6-49f2-8a52-3aaa0910cc05}{1}" paraid="674144282" >India vs England, 3rd&nbsp;T20I: March 16 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{56b88dbf-5bc1-4a27-99ab-33ba573466b9}{160}" paraid="1471930775" >India vs England, 4th&nbsp;T20I: March 18 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ed0c0178-6a4f-4893-9ee1-e961d4854992}{201}" paraid="1015028134" >India vs England, 5th&nbsp;T20I: March 20 in Ahmedabad&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f7788238-6e2b-46bf-83f9-9c78f000cfb5}{223}" paraid="616152119" >India vs England, 1st&nbsp;ODI: March 2 in Pune&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f95e42f2-f938-40f0-ae69-b395be5ea520}{238}" paraid="1871875115" >India vs England, 2nd&nbsp;ODI: March 26 in Pune&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ea1bb29f-7b06-403e-9c67-144babe708d8}{186}" paraid="28247233" >India vs England, 3rd&nbsp;ODI: March 28 in Pune&nbsp;</p>


Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has fired a friendly warning to the Indian cricket team as the Men in Blue gear up for a full-fledged home series against England starting from February 5.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has fired a friendly warning to the Indian cricket team as the Men in Blue gear up for a full-fledged home series against England starting from February 5. Pietersen took to social media platform Twitter to post in Hindi language as he said that India must celebrate after historic series win against Australia but warned the Virat Kohli-led side that the real challenge will start when England lands in India for the series. The former England player tweeted: “India – yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai . LEKIN, ASLI TEAM toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein . Satark rahe, 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen (This is a historic win and you must celebrate as it has been achieved despite all obstacles. However, the real challenge comes your way in a few weeks as England are touring, and you have to beat them at home. Be careful, refrain from celebrating too much in the coming two weeks.” ALSO READ: ICC Test Rankings: Rishabh Pant, Joe Root touch new high after epic shows India 🇮🇳 - yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai LEKIN , ASLI TEAM 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 😉 toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein . Satark rahe , 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen 😉 — Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 19, 2021 × India, despite injuries to key players, defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series while also ending Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak at the Gabba after splendid show by Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant in the second innings of the match. While Indian fans are in a celebratory mood, England pose a threat in what will be their full-fledged tour of India starting from February. England will play four Test, five T20Is and three ODI starting from February 5. ALSO READ: Cricket Australia thanks BCCI on successful tour, salutes Team India's 'courage and skill' England tour of India – Full Schedule: India vs England, 1st Test: February 5-9 in Chennai India vs England, 2nd Test: February 13-17 in Chennai India vs England, 3rd Test: February 24-28 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 4th Test: March 4-8 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 1st T20I: March 12 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 2nd T20I: March 14 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 3rd T20I: March 16 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 4th T20I: March 18 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 5th T20I: March 20 in Ahmedabad India vs England, 1st ODI: March 2 in Pune India vs England, 2nd ODI: March 26 in Pune India vs England, 3rd ODI: March 28 in Pune

Kevin Pietersen warns Team India ahead of England series

<p>India will host England for four Tests in early 2021 in what could become the key clashes in deciding who reaches the world Test championship final.</p>

<p>Sourav Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced the series, planned for February-March, late Tuesday, but warned the coronavirus pandemic could still cause problems.</p>

<p>Australia lead the nine-nation inaugural world Test championship league with India second and England third. The top two will go into the final next year at Lord's.</p>

<p>India host England shortly after their four-Test series in Australia and both showdowns will be key in deciding the final. England had originally been scheduled to play five Tests in India.</p>

<p>England will play four Tests, three one-day internationals and five T20s, Ganguly said, although he said the BCCI would "have to keep assessing the situation" because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>"A lot of people are talking about the second Covid wave," he said. "We're already hearing of cases being on the rise again in Mumbai and Delhi, so we have to be careful and make sure everything is in order."</p>

<p>Ganguly revealed that he has undergone 22 Covid-19 Tests in the past four-and-a-half months because of his travel schedule. All had been negative, he said.</p>

<p>The coronavirus has claimed more than 100,000 lives in India, which is the second worst hit nation after the United States.</p>

<p>England's original limited-overs tour to India in September-October and the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November were both casualties of the pandemic.</p>


India will host England for four Tests in early 2021 in what could become the key clashes in deciding who reaches the world Test championship final. Sourav Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced the series, planned for February-March, late Tuesday, but warned the coronavirus pandemic could still cause problems.

India will host England for four Tests in early 2021 in what could become the key clashes in deciding who reaches the world Test championship final. Sourav Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced the series, planned for February-March, late Tuesday, but warned the coronavirus pandemic could still cause problems. Australia lead the nine-nation inaugural world Test championship league with India second and England third. The top two will go into the final next year at Lord's. India host England shortly after their four-Test series in Australia and both showdowns will be key in deciding the final. England had originally been scheduled to play five Tests in India. England will play four Tests, three one-day internationals and five T20s, Ganguly said, although he said the BCCI would "have to keep assessing the situation" because of the coronavirus pandemic. "A lot of people are talking about the second Covid wave," he said. "We're already hearing of cases being on the rise again in Mumbai and Delhi, so we have to be careful and make sure everything is in order." Ganguly revealed that he has undergone 22 Covid-19 Tests in the past four-and-a-half months because of his travel schedule. All had been negative, he said. The coronavirus has claimed more than 100,000 lives in India, which is the second worst hit nation after the United States. England's original limited-overs tour to India in September-October and the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November were both casualties of the pandemic.

England to play four Tests in India: Ganguly

<p>The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL)</a> 2021 is all set to be played in the months of April and May with India hosting the lucrative T20 tournament. The ongoing edition of IPL (2020) was shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is being held behind closed doors but the BCCI president has now confirmed that the 14th edition of IPL will be back in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There were plenty of speculations surrounding IPL 2021 and many suggested that it could be held once again in the UAE due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in India. However, Ganguly has quashed the reports saying that India will host IPL 2021. The BCCI president further said that India will also host England in 2021 while additionally hosting the Ranji Trophy – India’s premium domestic tournament – in the country.</p>

<p>“Yeah, absolutely. April, May we’ll have another one [IPL 2021 season],” Ganguly told India Today.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-string-of-injuries-to-lethal-pace-anrich-nortje-talks-about-ipl-2020-with-delhi-capitals-341651">From string of injuries to lethal pace: Nortje talks about IPL 2020 with DC</a></strong></p>

<p>“No, no it’s not true [the speculations]. The UAE was only for the IPL. Yeah, yeah. We will host England in India. We will host domestic cricket in India. Ranji Trophy, we will create bio bubble and we will do it.</p>

<p>“We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. ISL starting in November in Goa, we’ll be fine. The scare, that is not there anymore and the IPL has helped a lot,” Ganguly added.</p>

<p>The former Indian captain further lavished praise on the quality of cricket in the IPL. Without downplaying other T20 leagues in the world, Ganguly said IPL is in the different league and the craze of the fans along with the quality of cricket take the T20 tournament to a whole different level.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eight-years-is-long-time-gautam-gambhir-wants-rcb-to-remove-virat-kohli-as-skipper-341364" hreflang="en">'Eight years is long time': Gambhir wants RCB to remove Kohli as skipper</a></strong></p>

<p>“Yeah absolutely, it’s the quality of cricket [in the IPL], it’s the madness about cricket in this country. It’s the fans who actually make it successful. And competition. It’s the quality of player, you go around and see the leagues in the world and I respect them, but this is different [the IPL],” Ganguly upheld the quality in the IPL,” he said.</p>

<p>The final of IPL 2020 is scheduled to be played on November 10 at the Dubai International Stadium.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to be played in the months of April and May with India hosting the lucrative T20 tournament.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to be played in the months of April and May with India hosting the lucrative T20 tournament. The ongoing edition of IPL (2020) was shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is being held behind closed doors but the BCCI president has now confirmed that the 14th edition of IPL will be back in India. There were plenty of speculations surrounding IPL 2021 and many suggested that it could be held once again in the UAE due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in India. However, Ganguly has quashed the reports saying that India will host IPL 2021. The BCCI president further said that India will also host England in 2021 while additionally hosting the Ranji Trophy – India’s premium domestic tournament – in the country. “Yeah, absolutely. April, May we’ll have another one [IPL 2021 season],” Ganguly told India Today. ALSO READ: From string of injuries to lethal pace: Nortje talks about IPL 2020 with DC “No, no it’s not true [the speculations]. The UAE was only for the IPL. Yeah, yeah. We will host England in India. We will host domestic cricket in India. Ranji Trophy, we will create bio bubble and we will do it. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. ISL starting in November in Goa, we’ll be fine. The scare, that is not there anymore and the IPL has helped a lot,” Ganguly added. The former Indian captain further lavished praise on the quality of cricket in the IPL. Without downplaying other T20 leagues in the world, Ganguly said IPL is in the different league and the craze of the fans along with the quality of cricket take the T20 tournament to a whole different level. ALSO READ: 'Eight years is long time': Gambhir wants RCB to remove Kohli as skipper “Yeah absolutely, it’s the quality of cricket [in the IPL], it’s the madness about cricket in this country. It’s the fans who actually make it successful. And competition. It’s the quality of player, you go around and see the leagues in the world and I respect them, but this is different [the IPL],” Ganguly upheld the quality in the IPL,” he said. The final of IPL 2020 is scheduled to be played on November 10 at the Dubai International Stadium.

India to host IPL, England and Ranji Trophy in 2021: Sourav Ganguly

<p>England are looking into the possibility of holding a training camp in the sub-continent for their Test squad ahead of planned tours of Sri Lanka and India.</p>

<p>Their red-ball side completed a 2020 home Test programme with a 1-0 win in a three-match series against Pakistan following a rain-marred drawn finale at Southampton on Tuesday.</p>

<p>That was the last of six Tests this season -- all played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic -- after England's 2-1 win over the West Indies last month.</p>

<p>But as Joe Root's side left their bio-secure bubble, there was no certainty as to when they will be in action again, with Covid-19 having upended the global cricket calendar.</p>

<p>England could be in Sri Lanka in January for a tour that was originally halted in March because of the virus outbreak before travelling to India for a Test series.</p>

<p>"It is nice to know that some form of preparation is being considered ahead of the winter tours if they take place and to give us a really good chance of competing if it is in sub-continent conditions," Root said.</p>

<p>"If not then we just have to make the most of what is available to us."</p>

<h2>- Classy Crawley -</h2>

<p>Whenever they next play Test cricket, England will probably find themselves having to work out who to drop in order to get Ben Stokes back in the side after he missed the final two matches of the Pakistan series to be with his ill father in New Zealand.</p>

<p>Zak Crawley made way for an extra seamer earlier in the season when a quad injury meant star all-rounder Stokes was unfit to bowl.</p>

<p>But having scored 267 -- his maiden Test century -- against Pakistan last week, the 22-year-old batsman is unlikely to be dropped again soon.</p>

<p>"I don't think when someone scores 267 it is going to give you too many headaches," said Root of Crawley.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He has been left out of the team twice for the balance of the side so to come into the team twice and affect both games shows huge amounts of class, talent, skill, concentration and maturity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Hopefully it is a springboard and it is a shame there is no more Test cricket for him this summer because I'm sure he would have wanted to carry on this form."&nbsp;</p>

<p>None of England's Test squad have been considered for the upcoming three-match Twenty 20 series against Pakistan starting Friday, with the red and white-ball groups largely kept separate this season.</p>

<p>But while new-ball bowlers such as James Anderson and Stuart Broad are now Test specialists, World Cup-winning batsman Root remains an all-format player.</p>

<p>He has even expressed an interest in playing in county side Yorkshire's Twenty20 Blast opener on Thursday, a move could yet pave the way for Root's return to the limited overs squad for England's T20 and one-day international series at home to arch-rivals Australia next month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That is completely out my hands, I just want to make the most of this summer," said Root.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It will be lovely to play some T20 cricket, whether that's for Yorkshire or England, I just want to play the most cricket I can from what is available.</p>

<p>"I'm already looking forward to getting back out there and hopefully scoring some runs."</p>


England are looking into the possibility of holding a training camp in the sub-continent for their Test squad ahead of planned tours of Sri Lanka and India. Their red-ball side completed a 2020 home Test programme with a 1-0 win in a three-match series against Pakistan following a rain-marred drawn finale at Southampton on Tuesday.

England are looking into the possibility of holding a training camp in the sub-continent for their Test squad ahead of planned tours of Sri Lanka and India. Their red-ball side completed a 2020 home Test programme with a 1-0 win in a three-match series against Pakistan following a rain-marred drawn finale at Southampton on Tuesday. That was the last of six Tests this season -- all played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic -- after England's 2-1 win over the West Indies last month. But as Joe Root's side left their bio-secure bubble, there was no certainty as to when they will be in action again, with Covid-19 having upended the global cricket calendar. England could be in Sri Lanka in January for a tour that was originally halted in March because of the virus outbreak before travelling to India for a Test series. "It is nice to know that some form of preparation is being considered ahead of the winter tours if they take place and to give us a really good chance of competing if it is in sub-continent conditions," Root said. "If not then we just have to make the most of what is available to us." - Classy Crawley - Whenever they next play Test cricket, England will probably find themselves having to work out who to drop in order to get Ben Stokes back in the side after he missed the final two matches of the Pakistan series to be with his ill father in New Zealand. Zak Crawley made way for an extra seamer earlier in the season when a quad injury meant star all-rounder Stokes was unfit to bowl. But having scored 267 -- his maiden Test century -- against Pakistan last week, the 22-year-old batsman is unlikely to be dropped again soon. "I don't think when someone scores 267 it is going to give you too many headaches," said Root of Crawley. "He has been left out of the team twice for the balance of the side so to come into the team twice and affect both games shows huge amounts of class, talent, skill, concentration and maturity. "Hopefully it is a springboard and it is a shame there is no more Test cricket for him this summer because I'm sure he would have wanted to carry on this form." None of England's Test squad have been considered for the upcoming three-match Twenty 20 series against Pakistan starting Friday, with the red and white-ball groups largely kept separate this season. But while new-ball bowlers such as James Anderson and Stuart Broad are now Test specialists, World Cup-winning batsman Root remains an all-format player. He has even expressed an interest in playing in county side Yorkshire's Twenty20 Blast opener on Thursday, a move could yet pave the way for Root's return to the limited overs squad for England's T20 and one-day international series at home to arch-rivals Australia next month. "That is completely out my hands, I just want to make the most of this summer," said Root. "It will be lovely to play some T20 cricket, whether that's for Yorkshire or England, I just want to play the most cricket I can from what is available. "I'm already looking forward to getting back out there and hopefully scoring some runs."

England consider sub-continent training camp for Test squad

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