The red-ball cricket madness is loading. The much-anticipated Test series between India and England will commence soon. The first match was scheduled to start on January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Indian players were scheduled to reach Hyderabad as the team will undergo four intense practice sessions. Former cricketer Steve Harmision doubted India’s batting unit.
Steve Harmission on India’s Batting Unit:
Former cricketer Steve Harmison casts doubt on India’s Test batting prowess ahead of the clash with England. Expressing skepticism about Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in red-ball cricket, the 45-year-old questions the present-day intimidating factor compared to cricketing legends. With Pujara and Rahane sidelined, the inexperienced lineup led by Rohit Sharma faces scrutiny. Harmison notes the white-ball success of Jaiswal, Gill, and Iyer but emphasizes the consistency struggle in Tests.
On this matter, he said, “India will fancy their chances in their own environment, especially with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their batting line-up. England, though, will feel that there are some vulnerabilities in that batting line-up. When I toured India, you had those big batters in the likes of Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid, and Laxman – all stellar players. I am not sure if it’s as intimidating as it was back in the day.”
Later he added, “Shubman Gill is a very talented player and Yashasvi Jaiswal is a good player, so as Shreyas Iyer. But I don’t think there are more of established international players in red-ball as compared to white-ball set-up.”
On England Team:
Steve Harmison points out England’s untested players on the international stage. Singling out Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley as still finding their rhythm, he highlights the weighty responsibilities ahead for Joe Root and Ben Stokes in the upcoming series.
He said, “Ben Duckett is still finding his way, while Zak Crawley is still trying to find his way, though he’s an exciting talent. So, Ben Stokes and Joe Root will have to shoulder the burden and the majority of pressure if England are to perform with the bat. A lot of their success with the bat will be largely down to Joe Root having one of his better series because he’s the best player of spin in the current line-up.”
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