Former England spinner Graeme Swann has predicted a 3-1 victory for India in the upcoming five-match Test series against England starting on August 4 at Trent Bridge.
India had last won a Test series in England under Rahul Dravid's captaincy back in 2007. The last time when the Indian cricket team toured England, they suffered a 1-4 drubbing, but Swann feels this time Virat Kohli and his team have a great chance to win their first Test series in England after 14 years.
He believes that India is a better side as compared to England going into the upcoming Pataudi Trophy, saying the tourists have an established batting line-up, as well as, the pace and spin bowling department, whereas the hosts’ faulty batting lineup and weak spin bowling might put them behind Kohli’s team.
Graeme Swann told Sportskeeda Cricket's YouTube channel: “What I'll say is, and I always say this in England, one Test will be rained off! One match will be drawn due to the rain. I think there will be four results. After watching England play New Zealand, and then New Zealand play India, I think India is in a better place batting-wise. Bowling, they are similar so I am going to say 3-1 to India.”
The Englishman further explained, “Oh, or should I say 2-2? You know, I really want to back to England, because I obviously played for them and I love my country. But we are so weak on spin bowling at the moment and later on in the summer in England, spin really does come into the equation, the wickets will turn unless they leave it really green.
I am going to go India 3-1, it doesn't fill me with joy to say that but I think India is a better team, and the fact that New Zealand beat England in that 2-match series, I don't think that augurs well unless they sort their batting out. Two more players in the top-6 have to support Joe Root.”
Swann also suggested India should play R Ashwin in all the five Tests in England while hoping the pitches for the Test series would not be really green and damp for seamers.
The former spinner further opined, “Ravi should play in every single match. The wickets prepared in India were too spin-friendly... I think I'll be very surprised and disappointed if the wickets in England are all really green and damp for seamers. Because that's not how English cricket is.”
He signed off by saying, “We should play on good wickets like they generally are in England and spinners should definitely play a role... there is scope for a spinner to take wickets in England. The dukes' ball stays very hard, you get a good bounce and can also get it to go the other way if you use your wrist cleverly. You have two play one spinner, I am not sure about two but definitely one.”
(Sportskeeda inputs)
