After a remarkable victory in Australia, the confident Indian cricket team is looking forward to hosting yet another strong contender in England at home for a four-match Test series starting from February 5, 2021.
When the bruised and battered Men in Blue lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Brisbane Cricket Ground after breaking Australia’s famous 30-year old undefeated streak at The Gabba, the world acknowledged the team’s character and the unbelievable depth of the talent pool with which they are blessed.
View this post on InstagramNow with many of the bigger names who had to leave the team’s side due to injuries or other personal reasons during the Australian red-ball tour are once again back to unite forces and according to former Aussie skipper Ian Chappel, make India practically ‘bulletproof’ and ‘unbeatable’.
"India will start as favourites after an exhilarating victory over Australia, overcoming all obstacles. When you add the name Virat Kohli to the batting order, the team suddenly assumes a bulletproof cloak," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
View this post on Instagram"In also adding the names R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma to the list of available players, India take on an unbeatable appearance."
Indian skipper in all formats of the game, Virat Kohli will once again be playing after recently becoming a father, while Ashwin looks to return after supposedly healing from the back and rib injuries he’d suffered during the Sydney Test last month.
© AP
On the other hand, batting allrounder Hardik Pandya is also expected to play and provide assistance on both sides of the pitch after recovering from a lower back surgery which prevented him from bowling during his limited-overs tour Down Under.
Chappell, in his column, believes that Team India, which is known to play on a different level when at home, will have the upper hand over the visiting England side, despite the latter’s 2-0 domination in Sri Lanka recently.
View this post on Instagram"...The availability of a premium player in Ben Stokes who, like (Hardik) Pandya, provides all-round ability and selection flexibility, albeit at a higher level than the Indian, is a big plus. And Jofra Archer adds substantially to the quality of an already strong pace attack.
"However it's the top of the England order, where another returning player, Rory Burns, will reside, that the scales tip in India's favour.
"India's top three feature an impressive Shubman Gill, a talented but flawed Rohit Sharma and the indomitable Cheteshwar Pujara, which places them well ahead of England's top order."
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