Anil Kumble backs India to win Test series in England

Former Indian coach Anil Kumble has backed Virat Kohli and his band of merry men to secure a victory in England in the Test series this time around. The tour of Ireland and then subsequently England begins on the 27th of June with a couple of T20 internationals played against Ireland before making the move to England for a full-fledged T20 international series followed by subsequent ODI and Test series.

Kumble seems to be optimistic about India’s chances in the Test series stating that the players do indeed have the experience and what it takes to win a series abroad. The 46-year old also went on to add that the spinners would also be expected to play a pivotal role in the series.

“On an average, the number of Test matches played by our batsmen stands at about 50. Also, the experience of having toured there before will definitely help as they will be aware of the conditions,” said Kumble, during an event here on Thursday evening. “Spinners will definitely play a major role on this tour of England.

Kumble added that the wickets would indeed be suitable for the players in the summer especially. “In the second half of the summer, we do know that the wickets will be more suitable for them. There will be wear and tear on the wickets, and spinners will come into play much earlier than in the first half,” Kumble said, before adding, “Conditions in the first half – in the months of May and June – are more challenging in England (for spinners) because of the rain and dampness.”

The yo-yo Test benchmark

The 46-year old went ahead and illustrated the fact that the Yo-Yo Test would indeed have been something that would have been communicated to the players. “I am sure every player would have been told that this is the benchmark. This is the test and this is the number you need to get or else you are not going to be there is what would have probably been communicated to them (by the board),” he said.

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