ENG Vs IND, 2018: Sourav Ganguly Feels Team India Has Potential to Seal Series in England

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Indian batsmen’s performance will decide the fate of the team in the upcoming five-Test series against England.

Virat Kohli and his company will enter the contest on the back of a One-day International series defeat. The Men in Blue started the tour on a brilliant note, thoroughly outplaying the hosts to win the three-match Twenty20 Internationals.

Visitors extended the impressive form in the first ODI too, winning it by convincingly by eight wickets. However, nothing much went right for the team in the following two games.

The batsmen failed to put up a good score on the board while the bowlers also lacked behind in leaving much of an impression. As a result, England won both the games convincingly to win the series.

In the second ODI at Lord’s, the Indian team was all out for just 236 while chasing the daunting target of  323. In the decider at Headingley, they managed a modest 256 for eight after being asked to bat first. But England overhauled the target with eight wickets in hand.

And, Ganguly now believes the batsmen will have to do well if the team is eyeing to bounce back from the defeat in the ODIs.

“You have to score 400 runs in an innings in Test cricket in order to be competitive. If they get 400 runs in the first innings, they will win,” Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens on Saturday (July 21).

Sourav Ganguly further said India have a good chance of winning the Test series in England.

“India will have a chance. They are a good side, if they bat well, they will do well in England. They can win the test series. India have got a big chance of winning,” Ganguly stated.

Since the tour of 2007 when Rahul Dravid led India to a fine victory in the Test series before the team has endured a disastrous time in England.

In 2011, India had gone to England as world number one Test side. However, the ranking and reputation made little difference as Andrew Strauss and his men inflicted a humiliating 4-0 whitewash upon the then Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side.

Three years later, the margin of the defeat decreased but there was no end to India’s misery as England thrashed them 3-1 in the Test series.