Ex India Cricketer Feels England Tests 'Excellent Opportunity For Young Team'

News18

8 hours ago

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Venkatapathy Raju feels the series against England will be a crucial test for the young Indian team.
Former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju believes that the upcoming five-match Test series against England, beginning in Leeds on June 20, offers a significant opportunity for a young Indian team to establish themselves and later confidently compete against any team worldwide.
With experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli moving on from Test cricket, the relatively inexperienced Indian batting line-up faces a formidable challenge in England, marking the start of their 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. In the current squad, only KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja have scored Test centuries in England.
'People always say to take advantage of home conditions, but there have been many upsets, such as India losing to New Zealand at home. This shows anything can change at any time. This is a very young Indian team with good balance.
'The England team also has a relatively new bowling attack, with James Anderson retiring and some players injured. We have a few experienced batters in the Indian team who can handle that bowling, making it an evenly matched series.
'England has never reached the finals of the World Test Championship and is keen on winning more games. Five Test matches provide an excellent opportunity for this young Indian team to settle and challenge any team globally, aiming for the next WTC edition," Raju told IANS on Sunday.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Sai Sudharsan, and Dhruv Jurel on their first England tour, and Karun Nair making a comeback, while captain Shubman Gill is yet to prove his consistency in overseas conditions, India faces the task of ensuring a smooth transition.
'We need to give the team enough time to settle. We were used to seeing senior players like Rohit, Virat, and Ashwin, who have served India for over 15 years. Naturally, any team will miss such experienced players, but it also gives new players a chance.
'Everyone dreams of playing for their country, and Test cricket is the ultimate goal. It's up to players like Sai Sudharsan to establish themselves if given the opportunity. People already speak highly of him.
'Karun Nair, who scored a triple century but then lost his way, has performed well in domestic cricket to make a comeback. The selection committee should be congratulated for showing faith in him. The competition within the team looks healthy, and it's up to the players to make the most of this opportunity and become good Test cricketers," Raju added.
Raju also praised the balanced combination of youth and experience in the bowling line-up. 'We have Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj, and Shardul Thakur, who were successful in the last England tour. Thakur fits in as an all-rounder.
'Nitish Reddy can also become a good all-rounder, having shown his batting capabilities. However, he needs to take on more bowling workload. Arshdeep adds variety to our bowling," Raju noted.
Raju highlighted that England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir could be a surprise package for the Indian batters. Bashir achieved career-best figures of 6-81 in the second innings, contributing to England's victory over Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs in a one-off Test at Trent Bridge.
Bashir, who debuted against India in Visakhapatnam last year, has taken four five-wicket hauls in 16 matches, with a total of 58 wickets. 'India has not been tested by any England Lions spinner in recent games. Bashir's height and consistency have been impressive.
'He knows the conditions well and has been a match-winner for England in spin bowling. His field placements have been brilliant, and he gets extra bounce with a nagging line similar to Nathan Lyon. He could be a surprise for the England team, as Indian batters have struggled against quality spin recently.
'Indian batters rarely play domestic cricket on turning pitches due to restrictions, favouring green tops in India. So, England players might struggle against Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja, but we should not overlook Bashir's potential impact against India," Raju concluded.