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India and England are poised for the upcoming final three matches of the Test series, marking their return after a short break subsequent to the Vizag game. The Indian team clinched victory in the second Test and levelled the series after England registered a victory in the first game. Now all the attention is now directed towards the crucial third game scheduled to commence in Rajkot from February 15.
Ian Chappell predicts the outcome of India-England Test series
In his insightful column for ESPNcricinfo, former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell has astutely observed that, under the current circumstances, England are poised to give India a formidable challenge in the upcoming three games of the Test series. Chappell, acknowledging India will clinch the series victory eventually, has emphasized the arduous battle that awaits them. Furthermore, he has accentuated the transformation in the current English side, noting a notable shift from the team that toured India in 2021.
“As the home side India should eventually win a tough series, but it has a real battle on their hands. England under the aggressive leadership of Stokes are a far cry from the poorly captained Joe Root team that capitulated against spin on their last tour of the country. This India versus England contest is shaping up as it should: a tough five-match encounter between two talented sides,” Chappell said.
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Chappell lauds shift to aggressive mindset in Test matches
Chappell has further praised skipper Ben Stokes for changing the players’ mindset to play aggressively and strive for victory from the opening ball of the Test match.
“Much of England’s success has been attributed to Bazball – the desire to score quickly and tactically rattle the opposition – but this is a misnomer. What Stokes has really done is set out to achieve victory from ball one by playing aggressive cricket in all aspects of the game. Stokes has been extremely smart to adopt such an approach and his aggressive tactics have brought England great success in the win column,” the 80-year-old concluded.
