Sachin Tendulkar predicts the winner of Team India's Test series against England
The upcoming four-match Test series between Team India and England will get underway tomorrow at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Ahead of the first Test, former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar offered his views on the series. Tendulkar expects Team India to win its first home Test series of 2021.
The Test series is extremely important for both teams, as it will determine the second finalist of the ICC World Test Championship. If Team India wins two Test matches and does not lose more than one fixture, it will qualify for the final.
In an interview with Times of India on Thursday (February 4), Sachin Tendulkar stated that the upcoming matches will be an intense battle. He pointed out that both teams have momentum on their side, but eventually picked Team India as the expected winners.
"I think both teams have come after winning their last series so it is going to be a series of two confident sides looking to take on each other. But if you look at the combination, I would like to believe that India's combination looks stronger than England's and it will be a closely fought contest, but I see India coming out as the victorious team," said Sachin Tendulkar.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI has allotted the four India-England Test matches to two venues.
Chennai will host the first two games, while the newly rebuilt Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will play host to the final two Tests.
Why is Team India the favorite to win the home Test series against England?
Many cricket experts have tipped India to seal its place in the ICC World Test Championship final. The primary reason behind it is their recent form.
Despite losing multiple star players, Team India scripted a historic 2-1 win in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India lost the first Test in Adelaide by eight wickets. However, they came back strongly to register victories in Melbourne and Brisbane, which led them to the number one position in the ICC World Test Championship standings.
Another reason why the Virat Kohli-led outfit is the favorite is that they are currently on an eight-match winning streak in Tests at home. In their last four wins, India has batted only once, which highlights the home side's dominance.
With India's reputation at home and a place in the Test championship final at stake, the India-England series promises to be a cracking contest.