England to play 5 Tests in January-March on their tour of India in 2024.
The last time England toured India was in 2021 when the hosts defeated the visitors 3-1 despite England winning the first Test in Chennai.
However, a lot has changed for England since then, as under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, the side has revamped their approach to Test cricket playing more aggressively.
England have lost only 4 of their last 18 matches since then and their fearless ‘Bazball’ approach has captured the imagination of both the experts and fans in recent times. Despite criticism of Bazball in the Ashes 2023, which saw Australia winning the first two Tests, England has remained steadfast in their commitment to the approach which saw them leveling the series 2-2.
R Ashwin highlighted England's success while also stressing the effectiveness India has had while sticking to their approach.
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While Bazball survived the Ashes Test, it remains to be seen if England's approach will work on spin-friendly conditions in India next year. Ashwin said that he couldn’t wait for England to tour India next year.
"England is playing a very exciting brand of cricket that has excited a lot of people around the world. On the other hand, we have been extremely consistent and successful in recent years. I cannot wait for them to come here and I don't think they are going to take one foot backward, they will continue to play the way they play. It wouldn't be an overstatement if I say that England is possibly the team to beat at this point in time," Ashwin said on YouTube.
England will next play a 5-Test series against India in India in January-March 2024.