Monty Panesar tips Gill-led India as favourites to win England series

Former England cricketer Monty Panesar believes that India enter the upcoming five-match Test series against England as favourites, especially with several Indian players having gained valuable experience through County cricket.

“Well, I think India has an advantage because they have players who have played County Cricket. I think India are favourites to win and I think they will probably win 2-0,” said Panesar.

However, while backing India, Panesar cautioned that the balance could tilt in England’s favour if the pitches offer significant assistance to seamers, suggesting that green tops may give the hosts a decisive edge in this high-stakes contest.

“But the key is going to be how they take on the seaming conditions. But also, there is gonna be a lot of hard work. If there are green pitches, I think England are favourites, but if there are flat pitches, I think India has got a chance of winning,” said the 43-year-old.

India will be without some of their most seasoned campaigners, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin, whose absence will undoubtedly be felt. Following Rohit’s sudden retirement from Test cricket, Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain, marking a significant shift in leadership. The England series will serve as Gill’s first assignment at the helm in the longest format, ushering in a new chapter for the Indian Test team.

One of India’s key concerns heading into the series is the availability of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is expected to feature in only three of the five matches as part of workload management protocols.

In addition, attention will be firmly fixed on Sai Sudharsan, the promising left-handed batter, who is set to make his Test debut. His performance will be closely monitored as India continues to invest in young talent.

The Indian squad has been intensifying its preparations in Beckenham, fine-tuning its strategy and form ahead of the first Test at Headingley, set to begin on June 20. This demanding five-match series will not only kick off a fresh World Test Championship cycle, but also signify the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket, as a young leadership group takes charge with the aim of building upon the legacy of their predecessors.

India`s Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

(With ANI Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day