‘We just need two things, batting well and Bumrah remaining fit’: Sourav Ganguly’s advice to Indian team ahead of England tour

NEW DELHI: Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly shared his key advice for the Indian cricket team ahead of their five-match Test series against England, beginning June 4.

A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Shubman Gill, India’s youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace.

Speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, Ganguly said, “Yes, sure. We just need two things, batting well and [Jasprit] Bumrah remaining fit. We won in Australia, in Melbourne (2020-21), with a young batting line-up, having no [Virat] Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. So, I do not see why we cannot win.”

Bumrah’s use will remain limited throughout the five Tests in England. During the announcement of India’s squad for the upcoming Test tour of England, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Bumrah was advised not to contest consecutive Tests as part of his workload management.

Speaking on new Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant, he said, “He’s a very good player, but he has to continue playing the way he played a few years ago. I saw him in Australia, and I didn’t like what I saw. Too many shots. He kept swinging. The ball decked around at certain venues. He has got the ability, there is no doubt about that, but it’s about the application. I want to see some more fights from him. He’s got a very good defence. So, he has to defend and now swing at every ball.”

The five-match Test series will take place from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord’s and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester).

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. (ANI)