Ahead of the much-anticipated 5-match Test series between England and India, former England captain Michael Vaughan has given a big challenge to Team India. Vaughan feels that the Indian cricket team has a golden opportunity in their hands to win a Test series on English soil.
For the unversed, it was in the year 2007 when team India last won a series in England and they have struggled with the England conditions, ever since then. The Indian cricket team has arrived in England with a lot of hope as this series is going to be one of India’s biggest tests in their new World Test Championship (WTC) campaign.
Now with the England cricket team struggling with issues of their own, Vaughan feels Virat’s side should take the series or otherwise simply ‘go home’. Yes, you read that right.
Currently, the Indian cricket team is looking like quite a better team than the hosts. The Joe Root-led side has been in a tough place since the beginning of this year. Earlier this year the England cricketers lost against India 3-1 and then went on to lose 1-0 at home against New Zealand.
Also, the England cricket team has concerns of their own. The top orders of the England cricket team appear weak with Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley not able to cement their positions. Apart from this, their star all-rounder Ben Stokes opted to pull out of the upcoming series and take an indefinite break from cricket due to mental health.
Not just this, the England cricket team would be without the services of their star bowlers Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes.
Highlighting the condition of the England cricket team, Vaughan gave a big challenge to India. He made a big statement by saying that if India can’t beat this England team, they should simply go home. He said:
“I’m going to put India under a huge amount of pressure. If they can’t beat this England side, with the team that they have, on the back of winning in Australia (twice), on the back of the unfortunate incidents in in terms of Ben Stokes missing out, no Chris Woakes – his record in the UK is exceptional, no Jofra Archer… if India can’t beat this England side, on the back of New Zealand winning here decently, they should go home, simple as that,”
He added:
“I just think that this Indian side has got pretty much everything. In my view, across the world there are really good teams that can win at home quite consistently. There is only one team that I look at the moment that can win all round the world, and that is India. I think they have got absolutely everything in terms of skillset, leadership, drive… there aren’t many teams that have gone to Australia and won twice on the trot. They have to do it,”
Earlier, he had also favored team India as his favorites to win this five-match Test series. In his tweet, Vaughan expressed how he can’t wait for the series to begin. He also claimed that India would be in trouble if they don’t pick Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI. Here, check out the tweet:
Evening all .. Can’t wait for the Test series to start tomorrow .. The best format by a country mile .. India favourites & rightly so .. England have so many key players missing .. But it India don’t pick @imjadeja they must be bloody bonkers .. #ENGvIND .. India to Win 3-1 !
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 3, 2021
