Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar predicted the result for the ongoing four-match Test series between India and England and said that Virat Kohli led side will demoralize England and will win the series by a margin of 3-1.
England cricket team beat India in the first Test by 227 runs to take a lead in the four-match Test series and put Virat Kohli-led Team India under tremendous pressure.
However, after being thumped by England in the first Test-match, Team India on account of Rohit Sharma's masterful 161 and R Ashwin’s outstanding all-round performance bounced back and registered their biggest victory over England by 317 runs to level the four-match Test series 1-1.
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Weighing the same former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that it was expected that India would make a strong comeback after their defeat in the first Test-match and predicted that India will demoralize England and will win the series 3-1.
“There was a lot of hue and cry when India lost the first Test, but I had said that India would make a really strong comeback and they did. India lost the first Test badly, they didn’t play well but now India will demoralize England, they will not loosen their grip. I believe the series will be 3-1 now. And this is necessary for a No.1 side,” Shoaib Akhtar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Akhtar further lauded Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin for their heroics in the second Test match and said that veterans Sharma and Ashwin stood up for India and made it difficult for visitors.
“When a player like Rohit Sharma scores 160, Ashwin picks up wickets and also scores a century then it was always going to be difficult for England,” he said.
Akhtar said that second Test-match brought the best out of Virat Kohli's side because the ICC World Test Championship Final was on the line.
“The minute they knew that they have to play the final of World Test Championship final and to play that they have to win, there was no option for a draw, they were always going bring out their best game,” he said.
Akhtar added that India should be assiduous about developing a grim pattern of playing poorly in the start of a series.
“We have to remember that India takes a bit of time to settle. They at times play poorly at the start. They did the same thing against Australia too. This is something they have to be careful of because a No.1 suddenly crumbling to a heavy defeat in the first match is a bit odd. But I always knew that India will come back strong as they are playing at their home,” he concluded.
