NEW DELHI: Team India are coming off a spectacular Border-Gavaskar title triumph and will aim to pocket another Test title when they face England in the four-Test series at home. The opening Test will be played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram stadium from Friday, February 5.
Former India cricketer Kiran More lauded India’s efforts in Australia but also warned that Virat Kohli and his men should not take the buoyant England team, who beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in their own den lightly.
“India will definitely do well, but the England team always comes well prepared. They give you surprises. They have two quality spinners in their team also. After the Australia win, India shouldn’t take England lightly,” More told Timesofindia.com.
“India should treat England just like Australia. You can’t take anyone lightly in Test cricket. Every session is a different session in Test cricket,” the former India wicket-keeper further said.

(PTI photo)
Besides the four Tests, India and England will also play five T20Is, followed by three ODIs.
Captain Joe Root will become the 15th England cricketer to feature in 100 Test matches when he steps onto the field for the toss with India skipper Virat Kohli at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 5.

Apart from Root, the likes of Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley (who scored 267 vs Pakistan in August last year), and the World No. 1 Test all-rounder Ben Stokes will bolster England’s batting line up.
Root, who is also the English captain, was the highest run-getter in England’s 2-0 win against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. He scored 426 runs in 2 matches (4 innings) at a mind-boggling average of 106.50. The 30-year-old notched up a double century (228) in the first Test and then scored a magnificent 186 in the second.

“Root and Stokes will be England’s key players against India. Root performed really well in Sri Lanka and is in magnificent form,” More further told TimesofIndia.com.
“England have a good batting line up, their fast bowlers are outstanding, their spinners have done really well in Sri Lanka. If you look at them overall, they are very well prepared. In Sri Lanka where England have played, it was a rank turner. They scored well and then got Sri Lanka out twice.”

With the four Tests scheduled to be played in two venues (Chennai and Ahmedabad), it will be very interesting to see the composition of the playing XI for both teams, especially the bowling slots. The pacer-spinner combination will definitely be debated quite a bit before the final XI is drawn up for both the hosts and the visitors.