ENG vs IND 2018: Not Surprised by Adil Rashid's Test Recall - Ajinkya Rahane
Updated - 10 Jan 2019, 01:32 AM
The England Cricket Board (ECB) picked up Adil Rashid for the first Test of the five-match series against India, starting August 1st in Birmingham.
However, the India team looks solid on paper. They are well aware of playing out of their skins to register a series victory in England for the first time post-2007.
On the other hand, England has some quality players in their ranks. However, the inclusion of Adil Rashid didn’t go down well with former English cricketers, including Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain.
Adil Rashid has not played first-class red-ball cricket in more than a year. Also, his argument with Yorkshire saw him quit the red ball format and concentrate on the white-ball cricket instead. However, destiny had something different in store for him.
Former greats criticised Rashid’s inclusion
Rashid had impressed all and sundry with his variations in the shorter formats. However, many former greats feel it is a disgrace to include a player in the Test squad who is just not interested in playing Tests.
Of late, Adil Rashid bowled well against India in the limited-overs series. With the conditions expected to remain dry, Rashid might prove to the X-factor for in the first Test.
However, India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane stated he wasn’t surprised at all to see Adil Rashid getting named on the Test squad.
“Not at all. We all know that he bowled well against us in the ODI’s. He is a very good bowler. Wrist spinners we all know are wicket takers. And right now the weather in England is like playing in Mumbai and Chennai. I mean when we played a practice game we got a feeling of playing in Mumbai or Chennai. But yes he is a quality spinner. We don’t want to take anyone lightly. Be it Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid or any of their fast bowlers. It will be a challenge. We should back our abilities and focus on our games,” Rahane said during the eight-minute long press conference.
The first game between India and England begins on August 1st in Edgbaston.
