ENG vs IND | Really think India have a very good chance at winning with a 3-2 scoreline, predicts Rahul Dravid
Dravid predicts a 3-2 win for India
|Rahul Dravid, in an interaction on Sunday, stated that he really thinks India have a very good chance at beating England in their own backyard with a scoreline of 3-2 in India’s favour. While stating that the squad looks balanced, he pointed out perhaps Kuldeep Yadav could have been picked.
While the scoreline might suggest that India terribly failed at the hands of England during their last visit to the country, many Tests were one session away from India’s grasps. India could take a lot of positives from that tour, especially considering how they were thwarted in the earlier series’. Not just that, India have a physiological advantage over The Three Lions, with their 3-1 series win at home.
Former Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, in a webinar organised by Live Aid India, predicted that India have a very good chance of winning the series against England, away from home. Alongside that, Dravid also predicted a 3-2 win for the Asian country but insisted that England’s bowling attack is going to be fantastic. Interestingly, Dravid was the last Indian skipper to beat England, in their own backyard, in 2007, a feat which hasn't been surpassed yet.
"I really do think India have a very good chance this time," Dravid said in a webinar organised by Live Aid India, a trust to help those affected by Covid-19, reported ESPNCricinfo.
"But I just think India will be well-prepared, have the confidence from Australia, there's lot of belief in the squad. A couple of players have been to England a few times, there's a lot of experience in the batting order this time around, so this is probably our best chance, maybe say 3-2 to India," he added.
Last time around, the familiar figure of James Anderson topped the bowling charts, with 24 wickets under his name, at an average of 18.12. The Indian pacers too were not far behind, picking 18, 16 and 14 wickets respectively. However, Dravid pointed out that England’s seam-bowling attack is going to be terrific.
"There's no question about their [England's] bowling. Whatever bowling attack England put on the park, especially their seam-bowling attack, is going to be fantastic. They have a lot of players to pick and choose from and that's going to be terrific.”
India would hop on to the series soon after their World Test Championship final against New Zealand. Before the England tour, India would have enough time for practice, which Dravid believes would come as a great advantage for the visitors.
"It's a great opportunity we've got. After the WTC final, they're going to be in England for a whole month before the Test series starts. I don't think any team has had that kind of time to prepare for a Test series as India will have this time, so that surely should be a great advantage.”
While the squad had the entire nation talking, it also got Dravid talking, with the former Indian batsman insisting that the squad seems balanced. However, if there was a merited selection that he would have made, the former Indian skipper would have added Kuldeep Yadav to the mix. Kuldeep was axed from the Indian Test squad, having only involved sparsely in the Indian setup, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin forming an integral part of the spin combination.
"It does [seem balanced]," Dravid said. "It's a 20-member squad. The only one who could have merited selection would've been Kuldeep , but he's fallen away over the last little bit. Also, with the kind of performances from Axar , Jadeja and Washington , they're clear about the kind of balance they want in the squad.”
Not just that, Dravid likens the duo of Axar Patel and Washington Sundar in the squad, both of whom he believes will act as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja and Ashwin.
"With both Ashwin and Jadeja adding value with the bat and having like-for-like replacements in Axar and Washy, they're clear about the direction they want to take. It lengthens their batting and all four fingerspinners here allows them to do that. The make-up of the squad tells me they know their best XI even before they leave from here."
