Rahul Dravid predicts a 3-2 series win for India against England in the upcoming series

Former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid feels that India has a realistic chance of winning the upcoming Test series in England slated to be played in August-September. Dravid is the last Indian captain under whom India won a Test series in England way back in 2007.

India have won a few Tests here and there but a series victory has eluded them in the last 14 years. Despite a promising performance in 2018, they ended up on the losing side by a 1-4 margin. The former Indian skipper and the Director of the National Cricket Academy, Rahul Dravid feels that it will be a “tough contest overall and a great series to watch.

"I really do think India have a very good chance this time," Dravid was quoted as saying during a webinar organised by Live Aid India which is a trust to help people suffering from COVID-19.

"There's no question about their [England's] bowling. Whatever bowling attack England put on the park, especially their seam-bowling attack, is going to be fantastic. They have a lot of players to pick and choose from and that's going to be terrific,” he added.

There is no doubt about the fact that England have a top-class bowling line-up. However, their batting line-up looks brittle and was found out even in the series in 2018.

It was Sam Curran’s all-round heroics all through the series which helped England recover from precarious situations and eventually win the series 4-1. However, the top order failed on most occasions which clearly indicates that a lot of work needs to be done in the top half of their batting order.

"But if you look at their top six or top seven, you really think of one great batsman, a world-class batsman who is Joe Root. Obviously, Ben Stokes is another one, who is a good all-rounder, but for some reason [R] Ashwin seems to do well against him. And that should be an interesting contest. I know he's done well against him [Stokes] in India, but it'll still be an interesting subplot to the series,” Dravid said.

"But I just think India will be well-prepared, have the confidence from Australia, there's lot of belief in the squad. A couple of players have been to England a few times, there's a lot of experience in the batting order this time around, so this is probably our best chance, maybe say 3-2 to India,” the former Indian skipper further added.

Dravid also felt that not many teams get a chance to get acclimatised to the conditions for a full month. Following the ICC World Test Championship final, India will get a month’s time to get adjusted to the seaming conditions of England.

"After the WTC final, they're going to be in England for a whole month before the Test series starts. I don't think any team has had that kind of time to prepare for a Test series,” he added.

The Indian squad is slated to leave for England on 2nd June. They will first play against New Zealand in the Test Championship final. A few intra-squad games will follow before the start of the five-match Test series in England.

"I think India will play really well in England this time," Dravid said. "It's a great opportunity we've got. After the WTC final, they're going to be in England for a whole month before the Test series starts. I don't think any team has had that kind of time to prepare for a Test series as India will have this time so that surely should be a great advantage,” Dravid said.

In England, if there's one thing you've always got to respect, it's the conditions. It's slightly different from say an Australia or India. To some extent you sort of get the feeling [as batsmen] that you're never set. Even if you're set and you get a good start, batting on 30, 40, 50, things can change very quickly, the weather can change, the ball can swing even after it's 40-50 overs old,” Dravid further quipped.

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EXCLUSIVE | Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada have been very supportive: Avesh Khan

Delhi Capitals Avesh Khan was on a song during the IPL's 2021 edition after bagging 14 wickets in 8 matches for his side Delhi Capitals, just before the cash-rich league was suspended due to increasing cases of Covid-19 in the Bio-bubble. Nevertheless, the right-arm pacer had certainly shown enough mettle to knock the doors of the selectors. Avesh was recently named as one of the standbys for the World Test Championship Final and England Tests scheduled to begin next month. India will first play the WTC final against New Zealand in Southampton. In an exclusive chat with OneCricket, Avesh talked about his future plans, break on the IPL 2021 edition and the priced wickets of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. “It’s a great feeling. For now, the plan is to continue my form that I had in the IPL. I’m not really thinking much and just preparing myself mentally for the upcoming assignments,” Avesh said when asked how felt about the recent achievements. The Delhi based franchise has senior and experienced fast bowlers of the likes of Ishant Sharma and Kagiso Rabada in the ranks. Mentioning the learnings from the two pacers, the Madhya Pradesh pacer praised both of them and said that they are pretty supportive. “Ishant Sharma has been very supportive and I have learnt a lot of things from him especially how to use the new ball while Kagiso Rabada has always motivated me and suggests me to do what I have been doing and give my best,” he said. “It feels good when players of that stature guide and support you,” he added. When asked about the disappointment due to the suspension of the IPL 2021, especially after the way Avesh had fared in the competition, the 24-year-old suggested that there are few things which can’t be controlled and this was one of them. “See it’s not in our hands. The situation became bad and then a few players tested positive within the franchise teams so the tournament had to be put on a halt. The things and situations which are not in our hands, we can’t really think about them. I will try to continue the form as and when the tournament resumes.” Last year, the world came to a standstill after the Covid-19 outburst. This resulted in the country going under a lockdown. Talking about the same, the Madhya Pradesh cricketer explained how he kept himself fit during the challenging times. “I used to train myself and do a bit of bowling and tried to stay fit. We had to leave for the IPL as well that was held in UAE so we had to keep ourselves fit. No doubt, there were challenges,” Avesh said. The Delhi Capitals comprise decorated players including coach and two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting. Talking about his bonding with Ponting, the right-arm pacer said that he shares a very good understanding with the coach and everyone else. “I have been associated with the franchise for the last four years now and I share a very good bond with the team management especially with Ricky Ponting. Apart from this, I have been playing with Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw for a very long time now so we do share a good understanding with each other. When you play for a franchise continuously and start doing well for them then expectations do rise,” he added. Wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was handed the captaincy of the DC unit for this IPL after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer got injured during the England series at home and was ruled out of the tournament. Quizzed about how different are the captaincy styles of the two players, Avesh revealed that there is not much of a difference as both Iyer and Pant back their bowlers a lot. “There is not much of a difference in the captaincy styles of both Pant and Iyer. The two players back their bowlers always. We have had a good time under Iyer’s leadership as well. The last two seasons have gone well for us while Rishabh has also led the team very efficiently in this edition of the IPL.” Avesh would probably count himself among one of the luckiest bowlers on the planet right now as he picked up the prized wickets of two of India's most celebrated cricketers, former captain MS Dhoni and current skipper Virat Kohli during the IPL 2021. The former RCB recruit explained that he had a certain plan for both the batsmen and was able to execute it well. “Obviously I felt really good after dismissing both Dhoni and Kohli. They are the legends of the game,” he said. “I had a plan for Mahi bhai. We had five players in the circle. Rishabh asked me to not be scared of getting hit for a six and this is what happened. Dhoni went after me but ended up playing the ball on to his stumps. Similarly, for Kohli I thought that getting the ball into him from outside off stump channel might fetch his wicket and it happened. He chopped that one into the stumps,” Khan explained. After the England series, Avesh once again has the opportunity to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli. Unable to hold back his excitement, the fast bowler said that he was looking forward to the opportunity. “I have shared the dressing room with Virat during the England series as I was with the team. I am really happy that I’m getting the opportunity again and would try to learn as much as I can from the captain,” he concluded.

Suspension IPL could present a precedent for World T20 postponement: Ian Chappell

Australia batting great Ian Chappell feels that the suspension of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League could set a precedent for the World T20 to be either postponed or moved from India, where Covid-19’s second wave is wreaking havoc. The former Australian international also feels that the suspension has once again proved that the game of cricket is vulnerable and there have always been loopholes, only this time it’s natural. "The suspension of the 2021 IPL tournament because of surging Covid infections and deaths among the public, and a number of participants testing positive, was a reminder of the game's vulnerability," wrote the former Aussie skipper in his column for ESPNCricinfo. Giving examples of the 1970-71 Boxing Day Test, where officials, just to recapture the loss, turned the game into the first-ever One Day International, because four days had been washed out, the septuagenarian said that IPL suspension could become a precedent and lead to further postponement of the World T20. "In the current disastrous climate, the suspension of the IPL could also produce a precedent. It may lead to the World T20 event, programmed for India later in the year, either being postponed or moved," added Chappell, who represented Australia in 75 Tests and 16 ODIs, scoring over 6000 runs, with 14 centuries and 34 fifties in his kitty.

This is a tragic time & I hope things can improve soon: Trent Boult

Mumbai Indians and New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has posted a heartfelt message for India after the country has seen a sudden spike in the COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks. “My heart goes out to the people of India, while I am sad to be leaving the @mumbaiindians family and see the IPL come to an end, none of that compares to the suffering many people are going through right now,” Boult wrote in a social media post. The IPL 2021 was also suspended earlier with immediate effect for an indefinite time after there were positive cases within the franchise teams. SRH’s Wriddhiman Saha, DC’s Amit Mishra, KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrior and CSK’s bowling coach L.Balaji had tested positive for COVID-19. Boult who is a mainstay of the MI bowling line up scalped 8 wickets in seven matches for the franchise before this edition of the IPL was put to halt. In 55 IPL matches that the left-handed bowler has been a part of, he has bagged 71 wickets during the course. The BCCI hasn’t made any official statement as to when will the IPL resume but the vice-president Rajeev Shukla has confirmed that the tournament has been postponed and not cancelled.

Inside out | Shardul Thakur has chance to become what Hardik Pandya couldn’t for Indian Test team

Shardul Thakur has had an interesting trajectory in his one and a half game-long Test career. On his debut against West Indies back in 2018, he walked off after bowling just 10 deliveries to never return. After waiting for three long years to have his next game in whites, he capitalised on the opportunity, albeit interestingly. On his return, Shardul made incredible contributions in arguably India’s greatest Test match victory, rapidly putting him on the upper echelons of the country’s cricketing folklore. In fact, if it were not for Rishabh Pant’s incredible final day exploits, it probably would have Thakur who would have gotten the man of the match trophy after bagging seven wickets and scoring 69 runs at the ‘Fortress Gabba’. After scalping three wickets in the first innings of the game, earlier in January, he walked out to bat in the series decider, when India were on their knees having lost all their main batsmen of an already depleted side. A tough first gig, one has to say for a debutant, who toured Down Under for the first time. However, rather than quivering at the sheer magnitude of the event, Shardul had other ideas. He stitched a valiant partnership with Washington Sundar to bail India out of trouble, and then bowled brilliantly in the company of Mohammed Siraj to make India dare to go for an unlikely win. All his heroics have not gone to waste as the selection committee has trusted him to do the job in England in the coming months as well. The fact that there was no first-class cricket this season due to the covid-19 pandemic might have played into Thakur’s hands as well. Heroics aside, Shardul at the moment is not a starter for the Indian Test team. Despite his performance in the final Test against Australia, he was sidelined in the next series against England after the squad returned to full strength. And, it is noteworthy that he had only found his way into the team when India ran out of options in the last game of the series in Australia. Shardul’s inclusion is on the expected lines however it has happened when neither Hardik Pandya nor Buvneshwar Kumar has found a place in the squads for a six-match long tour of England. Pandya has been ruled out of the longest format for some time owing to his back injury which does not let him bowl long spells while Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not been in the scheme of things since January 2018. One could owe Kumar’s absence to his injuries, but given it is a long series and India could have taken a longer squad in the covid-stricken era; it would be an educated guess that the management is not looking at him as a first-choice long format asset anymore. Looking at Bhuvneshwar or Hardik while picking Shardul? The answer to that question is very likely. Shardul’s inclusion and the exclusion of Bhuvneshwar and Hardik Pandya can’t be separated from one another in terms of the approach of the Indian team management and the selectors. Both of them have not played the Test format for a long time and also there are question marks over the fitness of both Bhuvneshwar and Hardik. At the same time, Shardul has impressed with his credential in limited opportunities with the bat. What Shardul brings to the table? Shardul Thakur has been one of the frontline bowlers for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy side and has taken a lot of wickets mainly due to his abilities to swing the ball and surprising the batsmen with varieties such as skidding bouncers. He had troubled Australian opener Marcus Harris and skipper Tim Paine with astute variation in lengths and accounted for them on sharp bouncers. Also, he had scalped Paine with a classical outswinger dismissal inducing a drive of a fuller length ball to edge him to slip in the first innings and Cameron Green in a similar manner in the second innings of the Gabba Test. He was fluent with the bat and played sublime strokes against Cummins and Starc that had left all cricket pundits impressed. He was dismissive against off-spinner Nathan Lyon and backed his game of attacking against the pace trio of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood. Some, at that point in time, might even have said - ‘Shardulkar’ has arrived. As an overall package, Shardul’s credentials put him above Hardik Pandya in terms of bowling abilities while giving equal if not better promises than Bhuvneshwar’s batting form. How can Virat Kohli use Shardul in England? From the limited pieces of evidence, Shardul can come in handy in England where his ability to swing the ball will allow Virat Kohli to have another line of attack after taking off some of the loads from the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. If India will be playing on flatter surfaces, they will need an enforcer who can run-in with a big heart and look to swing the ball with the Duke cherry. It’s highly unlikely that India will be fielding four out-and-out pace bowlers including Mohammed Siraj howsoever suitable the pitches might be but Shardul can come in handy as the fourth pacer who can contribute heavily with the bat. Kohli will have a far more comfortable cushion than Hardik Pandya with Shardul in the team. Who will Shardul replace if Kohli picks him? Virat Kohli has a habit of pulling a rabbit out of his hat and the trend is not likely to end anytime soon. If India will be offered flatter surfaces but with good carry, Kohli can think of having Shardul as enforcement in the bowling department and giving up on R Ashwin’s off-spin. The move could look a big one from the outset but Kohli has not been wary of playing horses for courses and Shardul indeed can be a wily horse who can provide him 10-15 overs of pace bowling. He can swing the ball and can also use his bouncers to good effect to never let Kohli miss what Hardik Pandya could have offered. Shardul, 29, has a weight of 63 first-class matches behind him where he has taken more than 200 wickets at an impressive set of numbers such as economy, strike rate and average. If he had thought of making an impact in the Indian team, this upcoming tour of England would be the perfect opportunity to stamp his authority with good showings, at least with the ball. Over a short period of time, Shardul has earned the reputation of being a man who gets the job done in limited-overs cricket albeit he goes for a lot of runs. Virat Kohli would need a lot more control in the longest format where batsmen will not come at him and gift their wickets. Kohli, too, from his side, will have to help him in purchasing wickets or make a clear roadmap of what the team needs from him. If India adopt an all-out approach in team selection on flat pitches, Shardul Thakur may very well walk out in the Indian cap. But, will Kohli take that call? Or, will Shardul stand up and make that opportunity count both for himself and the team? Whatever will be the outcome, it looks like a riveting prospect for an underdog cricketer from Palghar who has shown an immense appetite to fight hard for his success.