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Following the T20I series against Afghanistan, Team India are now gearing up for their upcoming challenge – the home Test series against England. The five-match Test series is scheduled to commence on January 25 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. This series holds significant importance for both teams as it forms part of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the 2023-2025 cycle.
Ahead of the commencement of the Test skirmish, cricketing icon Sunil Gavaskar has identified the primary concern for India. Gavaskar, a highly regarded cricket analyst, has unveiled the most substantial threat that Team India will face in the red-ball contests against the English side.
Sunil Gavaskar reveals the challenge for India
The cricket legend reckoned that veteran England batter Joe Root will the key man for the touring party. He emphasized Root’s evolving and unorthodox batting style and reckoned the English star would be a challenge for Indian bowlers.
Root, known for his classical and orthodox approach to batting, has surprised many by incorporating the reverse scoop shot into his Test cricket repertoire. Gavaskar expressed his thoughts on this unexpected development, highlighting that Root’s unconventional stroke play adds a layer of unpredictability to his game.
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“He (Joe Root) has evolved his game. He is now playing reverse scoop in Test cricket. It was not expected from him as he is a very orthodox cricketer. He belongs to Yorkshire where generally orthodox cricketers come from. If you see Yorkshire’s batting, from Len Hutton to Geoffrey Boycott to Michael Vaughan, Yorkshire has always produced batters who are technically rich,” explained Gavaskar during the discussion on Star Sports.
Gavaskar highlights England batter’s significance
Gavaskar further underscored the significance of Root’s confidence in executing such unorthodox shots, particularly the reverse scoop. According to Gavaskar, the ability to confidently hit a good delivery for a six using this unconventional technique makes Root a batter to watch out for in the upcoming Test series.
“But from the past two years, Root has been revers scooping. So if a batter has that much confidence to hit a good ball to a six with a reverse scoop, so you have to be aware of such batter,” added Gavaskar.
