Former England skipper Michael Atherton has predicted that India will win the upcoming Test series because of a better spin attack than England. India has a potent spin battery as they have spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav in their squad.
Furthermore, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan have been picked in the pace-bowling line-up.
“I think India will win. Their spinners are better than England’s and that will be the defining thing in the end. If you go to India, spin will play a big part, it historically has done and I suspect it will always do. India do have a very strong seam attack as well,” said Atherton on Sky Sports.
“India’s four spinners are very different to England’s. They have two left-arm finger spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. They have a wrist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the greatest spinners of all time,” Atherton lauded India’s spin attack.
On the other hand, England has picked an inexperienced spin battery as they have bowlers like Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, and Rehan Ahmed. Barring Jack Leach, the England spin trio is inexperienced whereas Indian spinners have all the experience of exploiting their conditions.
Bashir has picked 10 wickets in six first-class matches, whereas Ahmed has scalped 24 wickets in 13 first-class. Ahmed, a leg-spinner, had made a terrific debut against Pakistan back in 2022, picking seven wickets. Tom Hartley has snared 40 wickets in 20 first-class matches.
“England have a solid left-arm spinner in Jack Leach and then three very inexperienced spinners after that with Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed. It will be a particular challenge for them, but the selectors see a high ceiling for them,” Atherton said.
India will make the most of their own conditions and get the job done against England. The hosts had won by 3-1 when England last toured in 2021.
India and England will take on each other in the first Test match from 25th January onwards at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
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