Former English cricketer Graeme Swann feels that England will be the favorites to win the rescheduled Test against India at Edgbaston.
The teams are slated to play the final Test of the five-Test series, which was postponed last year due to COVID-19, starting 1st July. The visitors are leading the series 2-1 and would be looking to create the history whereas the hosts would be eyeing to draw the series.
Both sides will have different captains this time. While India is set to be led by Rohit Sharma, England will play under the leadership of Ben Stokes and both sides will be keen to put their best. However, the participation of the Indian skipper has been put under a cloud as he recently tested positive for COVID-19.
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India recently played a four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire to prepare themselves for the Test match. On the other hand, England under new skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon Mccullum dominated New Zealand in the three-match Test series.
In a virtual interaction, facilitated by Sony Sports, Graeme Swann said that England is in a good position and having thumped New Zealand in the Test series, they are favourites to win the Test match against India.
"England is in a very good position and I would say they are slight favourites because of that series (against New Zealand). And the fact that India just had one (warm-up) game in England, so they are coming in cold (for) the Test match, which is a bit of disadvantage. They (England) have got the three Test matches under their belt, so that makes them pre-game favourites,” Graeme Swann said.
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Swann feels that it’s a bad time to play England as they are in the red hot form and with the likes of Joe Root, whose at his absolute best, Ollie Pope, who’s playing his best-ever cricket, and Stokes who has insisted on new attitude in the team.
"It is a real bad time to play England because they just played these three games against New Zealand. You are going to face an England team where Joe Root is back to his absolute best, where Olive Pope is playing his best-ever for England. Ben Stokes has amalgamated the team and got playing in an ultra-positive and rock and roll fashion,” he said.
Swann named Root and Stokes as key players for England whereas Kohli and Bumrah will play the same role for India.
"It is quite simple for England, it will be Joe Root and Ben Stokes, if they continue their form, their sort of ethos, England will do well. Stokes is leading from the front and he is a natural leader. Joe Root is thriving and batting at his absolute best.
"I think Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli (key players). If Kohli plays with the same freedom that Joe Root is playing now, we are all in for a treat. Virat is a wonderful player and if Jasprit get his line and length with that Dukes ball, he is unplayable,” he said.
(Sony Sports/ PTI inputs)
