As a result, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid is probably not in the mood to face the Three Lions, who appear eager to break India’s 11-year home winning streak. Before the first Test, Rahul Dravid said it’s been interesting to watch England play with their “Bazball” style of play, acknowledging the threat they bring.
The anticipation for the forthcoming Test series between India and England is at an all-time high. The two sides will play five Test matches starting on February 25 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The five-match contest is being referred to as England’s toughest test since, under the direction of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon Mccullum, the team has only lost four Test matches.
“Watching them perform has been thrilling, and you can tell that they’ve had success doing it. They’ve achieved success in Pakistan. They had triumphed in New Zealand and had an incredible series in the Ashes against Australia. Therefore, we must respect that,” the Times of India quoted Dravid as saying.
Rahul Dravid went on to say that while it will be difficult for England to adjust to Indian conditions going forward, he still supported them in their efforts to put pressure on Indian bowling.
However, we are aware that they will have difficulties in these circumstances because we are familiar with them. Our attack is well-versed in our vast experience. Knowing that we’ll be under pressure, I’m interested to watch how our boys react,” he continued.
The former captain of India discussed how his team will counter Bazball and said that they won’t be overly aggressive or defensive.
None of my batsmen appear to be backing down or to be on the defensive: Rahul Dravid
We’re not going to try to be extremely aggressive, in my opinion. I believe that we try to play the cards that are dealt to us and the circumstances warrant. However, if you look at our top six-seven batsmen, you’ll see that many of them are aggressive players who approach the game with a good attitude. However, I don’t see any of my batsmen looking defensive or going backward,” the Indian head coach continued.
Notably, Alastair Cook‘s England were the last side to defeat India in their own country in 2012. Since then, India has won 36 of the 46 games played, lost only three, and notched up a series victory. In contrast, England has won 13 games and only lost four since Stokes took over as full-time captain. As a result, the series is anticipated to be a fantastic marketing opportunity for Test cricket, featuring the two current giants of the sport facing off against one another.