Former Australia cricketer Brad Hogg reckons that India would be the clear-cut winners of the forthcoming Test series against England starting January 7, with the first and second Test matches in Chennai, and the remaining two Tests in Ahmedabad.
The Indian cricket team had an unforgettable 2-1 victory against Australia in the concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 held down under.
Despite India missing out their skipper Virat Kohli for the last three Test matches (as he was on paternity leave) and many of their key players suffering injuries at different stages of the four-match Test series, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side triumphed as they pulled off a historic feat of beating the Aussies in their own backyard.
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In fact, such has been the magnitude of this series win that many cricket pundits and former international cricketers have rated it as India’s greatest series win to date in the longest format of the game.
Forging ahead with the same momentum, India would be locking horns with England at home for 4 Tests, 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.
India hasn’t lost a Test series at home since 2012-13, where England beat the hosts by 2-1, scripting wins in the second and third Tests in Mumbai and Kolkata respectively, followed by a draw in the final Test in Nagpur. Since then, the Indian cricket team has been invincible at home and no touring side has caused any discomfort to them in the purest format of the game.
England are currently underway the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, where the Joe Root-led side managed to draw first blood in the opening match of the series and are thus leading by a 1-0 margin.
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Root smashed a scintillating double century (228) in the first Test, in fact, that was his first hundred-plus total since November 2019, where he last struck a hundred against New Zealand at Seddon Park, that eventually converted into a double ton (226).
England, on their previous tour of India in 2016-17, had lost the five-match Test series by 4-0. Root led the batting charts for the visitors by accumulating 491 runs including a hundred and 4 fifties while leggie Adil Rashid as the highest wicket-taker for England, scalping 23 wickets in five matches at an average of 37.43 and 4/82 as the best bowling figure in an innings.
England will have their day at Ahmedabad in the third Test match: Brad Hogg
Although it looks like a clash of the titans for the cricket fanatics, as both sides are equipped with superstars of the game, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes that it would be an easy win for India.
Hogg, who is a veteran of 145 international matches and scalped 180 wickets, further stated that the Indian cricket team would win the series by 3-0 or 3-1, and book a spot in the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lords.
“I think India are going to win this series 3-0 or 3-1. I think England will have their day at Ahmedabad in the third Test match. But I think that India will come in and win the final Test match of the series in Ahmedabad,” Hogg said in his latest video posted on his YouTube channel.
He added, “India are definitely going to win the two Test matches in Chennai. So 3-1 and they will go to the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lords.”
As far as the ICC World Test Championship points table is concerned, India is comfortably sitting atop with 430 points, followed by New Zealand (420 points), Australia (332 points) and England (352 points) at the fourth spot.
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