India, having not lost a test series at home since 2012-13, is poised to face England in a five-test series. Despite a remarkable record of winning 16 consecutive test series at home, captain Rohit Sharma is wary of his team developing a sense of invincibility in familiar conditions. The last defeat on home soil came over a decade ago when Alastair Cook’s England secured a 2-1 series victory.
Addressing the media in a pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma dismissed any notion of his team being unbeatable, emphasizing that sport is unpredictable. He stated, “By no means whatever records we have in the past decade or so give us the guarantee that we are going to win the series. We want to think that if we don’t step up or don’t show up well, we are going to find ourselves in trouble. We don’t want to be doing that.”
Facing an England team led by Ben Stokes with an aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, Rohit acknowledged England’s strength in playing test cricket and highlighted the importance of India sticking to their strengths.
As England opts for a spin-heavy attack with Mark Wood as the lone fast bowler, India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will play a crucial role. However, Rohit did not reveal whether Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav would be the third spinner.
Regarding the wicketkeeping role, Rohit confirmed that KL Rahul, primarily a batter, would not be deployed behind the stumps. The choice of a specialist wicketkeeper for what is expected to be a turning track remains undisclosed, with Srikar Bharat and the uncapped Dhruv Jurel being potential options.
