England Test captain Ben Stokes has hit out at Steve Harmison after the former pacer questioned the team’s readiness before the demanding Test tour of India. The five-match Test series will begin on January 25 in Hyderabad and England are supposed to arrive in India just three days before, supposedly after concluding their preparations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The demanding spin-oriented conditions pose a significant challenge for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s aggressive playing style. England have secured only one Test victory in their last two red-ball tours of India, yet they hold the distinction of being the last team to win a Test series in the country.
“Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st test then isn’t it,” Stokes tweeted.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a squad leaning heavily on spin, including newcomers Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir for their debut call-ups. Steve Harmison, who previously toured India for three Tests, was not satisfied with England’s strategy for the upcoming series and predicted a deserving whitewash for the team based on their approach.
“If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. They really do. I’m an old man, that is what they are going to say, the times have changed, the game has changed, but I tell you, preparation has not changed. You can’t go into India underprepared. In fact, you cannot go India overprepared as well, you can be in India for six weeks before and still not be prepared for that first Test,” Steve Harmison said in an interaction with TalkSport.
The tours of Australia and India stand out as pivotal events for England in their international cricket schedule. In their previous Ashes tour, the team engaged in a couple of warm-up games against the England Lions on Australian grounds, approximately two weeks before the series commenced.
