The Ashes 2021: India Has Shown A Game Plan That Was Successful, We'll Learn From Them - England Coach Chris Silverwood

England head coach Chris Silverwood has stated that his team will be looking at Team India’s successful tour of Australia earlier this year to learn how to defeat the Aussies in their own backyard. A second-string Indian side managed to beat Australia 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It was an unbelievable turnaround from the Asian giants, who were beaten comprehensively in the first Test in Adelaide. With the all-important Ashes series just a couple of months away, Silverwood indicated that the Indian team’s victory will be studied.

“I think we’ll be very competitive (in the Ashes). We look at the fact Australia have been very strong over the years and we have to respect them. But we have over the last 6-7 months played the top two teams in the world, learned a hell of a lot.”

“We look at India, how do they go about their business. They’ve shown a game plan that was successful over there and so we will be learning from them. There is a strong belief we can do something very special,” Silverwood stated to Cricbuzz.

We will be using the skills we have in the best possible way – Chris Silverwood

The England head coach further stated that the team will not be worried about what it lacks but instead, try its best to focus on the positives. During India’s tour of England in August-September, England bowlers did a fine job while Joe Root did the damage with the bat. It wasn’t enough overall, as India leads the series 2-1. However, Silverwood mentioned that they will continue to work hard on their skills.

“We are battle-hardened. We had some success along the way and we’ve proven we can compete with India. So I see that as a real positive, a real galvanizer to the group, to better handle pressure now that they see it more and more, which is great.“

“How do we get the best out of the bowling attack we have got rather than worrying about what we haven’t got. There is nothing we can do about that so it’s pointless. We will be using the skills we have in the best possible way and I do believe that we can make it work,” Silverwood added.

The Ashes series begins on December 8, with the first Test being played at The Gabba, followed by the second Test in Adelaide.

Also Read – The Ashes 2021: Michael Atherton Reckons England’s Squad For The Ashes Is Neither The Strongest Nor The Weakest