India vs England 2021: ‘Indian bowling has developed into a very good attack and we are very aware of that,’ says Graham Thorpe
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England assistant batting coach Graham Thorpe talked of the Indian bowling line-up according to which they will train the English batsmen during the practice sessions that resume on February 2, after the six-day-mandatory quarantine.
As the English players struggle slightly against the spin, Thorpe believes that India not only has a packed spin attack comprising Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, but have a good bowling attack.
“The one thing about the Indian bowling attack is, it’s not just about spin. I suppose their seam attack is also strong and so from that point of view, it’s not to just get side-tracked completely into the spin side of things as well. Yes, it will be important no doubt about that,” Thorpe said in a virtual press conference.
“Indian bowling has developed into a very good attack and we are very aware of that. When you come to the sub-continent you will have to deal with spin. More so with the Indian attack, we are aware. The training time (three days) will be used to strike a fine balance practicing both,” he added.
Thorpe lauded Virat Kohli
“We know that he is a fantastic player and he has shown that for many years now. Virat is in one of that batting orders which understands home conditions very well,” Thorpe said.
Former England player feels that their bowling unit is already putting their best forth and said, “The key for our bowling attack will be to bowl our best ball as often as we can. I don’t think we can ask for anything more from our spinners and seamers. We need to have runs on the board and then having the Indian batting order under pressure will really be the key for us. To take the game deep will be an important aspect for England.”
Thorpe even deliberated on England skipper Joe Root who will play his 100th Test match during the first Test against India in Chennai. “I think you need a good sense of humour to play that amount of cricket because you will experience highs but there are gonna be some moments in the way where you have your lows and you have to show a bit of character and resilience. And then you have to adapt to the next situation and sometimes you have to tinker with your technique and you have to manage all that,” Thorpe said.
“To play 100 Test matches is no mean feat and he will be very proud and his family will be very proud. He is a great student of the game, watching other people play and learning. He is somebody who does not want to be standstill and he got a great hunger to score runs as well and improve,” he added.
India and England are set to lock horns in four Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The first two matches of the four-match Test series will be played in Chennai before the cricketers move to Ahmedabad for the third and fourth Test.
Also read: India vs England 2021: Jonny Bairstow to join England squad after first Test
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Sahil Sethi
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