Now that Virat Kohli is out of the opening two Test, former English skipper Michael Vaughan has claimed that there are not one but ‘threats’ for the England cricket team.
With the IND vs ENG Test series kicking off January 25, Vaughan urged England to not give Rohit Sharma, the batter any chances and asserted that they’ll need Ben Stokes at his physical best to have any chance in the series.
Rohit had single-handedly turned the momentum towards India the last time England toured in 2021. His glorious 161 in Chennai helped India come from 0-1 to take the series 3-1. Emphasizing how good Rohit is on Indian pitches and therefore how his wicket holds immense value, Vaughan said:
“There are two other vital factors. England must take every chance their bowlers create. You cannot give Rohit Sharma a sniff, especially as India’s batting is so deep. On these slow-ish wickets, even India’s lower order can be dangerous.
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Other than Rohit Sharma, Vaughan also pointed out that since Ben Stokes is coming from knee surgery, his fitness may be an issue. He further added that to have any chance to win the series, England will need their skipper at his best, both as a batter and skipper.
The other factor is Ben Stokes’ fitness. He may never play Test cricket at 100 percent fitness again, but England need him at 90 percent after his operation because his batting and captaincy are so vital.”
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