"They are in better touch than India" - Zaheer Khan on England's current form in Test cricket
Former fast bowler Zaheer Khan has pointed out that England have played a lot more red-ball matches than India since the two sides locked horns in a Test series last year.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Khan mentioned that England will have an advantage over India due to the number of Tests they have played in the past year. He also highlighted how they have made several notable changes to their leadership group and are now a different team.
The 43-year-old stated:
"England have played more Tests than India in the past year. This is why I believe England are ahead of India when it comes to match practice. England have played a lot of matches recently and have also introduced major changes to the side. They are in better touch than India in terms of playing this format."
The former pacer suggested that most players from India's squad have just been playing T20 cricket off-late.
He noted that the visitors are coming into the England side after the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) and the subsequent five-match T20I series against South Africa.
Zaheer Khan suggested that India did the right thing by reaching England early to prepare for the all-important fifth Test. However, he feels that the hosts will post a tough challenge as their confidence will be very high after their dominant 3-0 series win over New Zealand.
"The Indian cricketers were busy with the IPL for two and a half months. They later took on South Africa in a T20I series. The players have been busy playing only a single format. This is why they decided to come to England quite early to prepare well for the match.
"India have done proactive planning as this is going to be a deciding game. But England will be very high on confidence after their series win over New Zealand."
It is worth mentioning that under the guidance of new Test head coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes, England showcased a dominant brand of cricket against the Kiwis.
India, on the other hand, could be without their captain Rohit Sharma for the fixture as he is down with COVID-19.
We’ve done things differently.
We’ve loved it.
We hope you have too 🏏 🏴 🦁 https://t.co/JYQqNIYytw
The rescheduled fifth Test between India and England to begin on July 1
India and England battled it out in the first four Tests of the five-match series last year. The final fixture was called off because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the touring party.
The highly anticipated rescheduled Test is slated to kick-off tomorrow (July 1) at Edgbaston in Birmingham. India currently have a 2-1 lead in the red-ball rubber.
UPDATE - #TeamIndia Captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team.
There is no clarity on Rohit Sharma's participation in the match after he tested positive for COVID-19 on multiple occasions.
Recent reports suggest that senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah could be appointed captain for the crucial tie if Sharma doesn't recover in time.