ENG vs IND: VVS Laxman fortifies India's chances in England

Ahead of India’s rather long tour of England, VVS Laxman, the Indian batsman who has had some fantastic memories in the country has fortified the chances as well as most of the spirits of his countrymen. Writing in his column, Laxman went on to state that a good start will be of tantamount importance for the Indians as they being with a T20I at Manchester.

Shedding light on the same, Laxman wrote, “It will be crucial for India to start well in the T20 series against a seriously good white-ball team that will be full of confidence after sweeping Australia in a five-match ODI showdown recently.”

He also went on to add that there were plenty of options available for Kohli and Shastri to consider as the tour rages on. “Virat and Ravi Shastri will think long and hard before choosing from the plentiful batting options at their disposal. That everyone weighed in with classy runs in Ireland, and that most of them are in excellent form, will make the management duo’s task even trickier. I am certain they will go less by names and more by the skill-sets the batsmen bring while keeping in mind recent form.

‘Would like to see a sixth bowling option’

At the moment, with Hardik Pandya proving to be a major asset with both bat and ball, it is clear that the Indians can indeed extend their bowling options. Laxman went on to write that it might not be such a bad idea to include Krunal Pandya in the XI. He also added that the Brits have not been at their best when it comes facing spin.

“I personally would like to see a sixth specialist bowling option, and while the forced inclusion of Krunal Pandya can offer that possibility without weakening the batting, it will be interesting to see if Virat thinks likewise.”

“England has shown a susceptibility to left-arm spin, and the weather is fairly hot and dry there currently, which are pretty good conditions for a spinner to operate in. Also, England has tremendous power and depth, so the best dot-balls will be wicket-taking ones. By strengthening the attack, Virat will have the insurance if one of his bowlers has an off-day,” Laxman added.

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com.