New Delhi: Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India will miss the senior duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as he predicted a 3-1 defeat for the visitors in their upcoming five-match Test series against the Ben Stokes-led side. The Test series between India and England will get underway on Friday, June 20, with the opener set to be played at Headingley in Leeds.
The England Test series is India’s first major assignment after Kohli and Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket. The senior batters drew curtains on their respective Test careers last month, marking the end of an era in Indian cricket. Shubman Gill has taken over as India’s next captain in Tests after Rohit’s departure and will be hoping to make a mark in his debut series in charge of the team.
“England have a very good record at home, and India will miss the runs and experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It’s a hard one to call, but I think home advantage will swing it England’s way, and I’m going for 3-1,” Hussain wrote in his column for Mail Sport ahead of the start of the five-match rubber.
Kohli finished his Test career as India’s fourth-highest run-getter in the format with 9230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. Meanwhile, Rohit amassed 4301 runs in 67 matches at an average of 40.57, with the help of 12 centuries and 18 fifties in his Test career. Both batters were vital cogs in India’s batting line-up in Tests over the last few years.
However, India have enough talent and firepower in their batting line-up to ensure the absence of Kohli and Rohit is not felt in England. Head coach Guatam Gambhir will hope the likes of skipper Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Yashasvi Jaiswal can step up in the senior duo’s absence to lead India’s batting in difficult English conditions.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said India will miss the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the batting line-up as he made a bold prediction about the upcoming five-match Test series between the two sides. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
