England Vs India 2018: India Can Still Win the Series 3-2 - Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly feels current Team India skipper Virat Kohli must start managing the senior players like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara quite well. With India in England, the fourth Test will kick off on Thursday (August 30).

Ganguly during his tenure as a captain of the Indian team managed stalwart players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.

On the other hand, he also inspired the likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan to realize their potential.

Ganguly on that aspect was a very matured leader. He also expects the same from batting giant Kohli.

Speaking to Hindustan Times just before the start of the fourth Test Ganguly spoke on some aspects. The former skipper also talked about India’s chances of making a stunning comeback after being 0-2 down in Lord’s. He also sheds light on those areas where one can work and become world beaters both in the home and overseas conditions.

Ganguly feels that  Rahane is a tremendous player and Kohli should manage him well. The former Indian skipper said that he is a vital cog for India just not only in Tests but also the shorter formats of the game.

England Vs India 2018: Sourav Ganguly feels Ajinkya Rahane should be a middle-order batsman in all formats of the game, urges Virat Kohli to take some decisions.

“I have no doubt that India needs Rahane in the middle-order in both Tests and ODIs. Being dropped after doing well in the shorter-format could have hurt his confidence. Rahane seems like someone who is a big confidence player, and this is where Kohli’s role becomes important. He needs to put his arms around Rahane’s shoulder and give him that boost,” Ganguly said.

 

“In the past generation, most of the top players played both formats for India – Tests and ODIs. If after so many years, the team management still hasn’t been able to show him that confidence and faith, then that needs to be worked on immediately,” the former India captain opined.

Ganguly feels the Indian team management needs to take some callous decisions if they harbour hopes of claiming the series.

However for that to happen, India will have to play out of their skins to win the series from here.

“Absolutely, they can win the series. Every Test has seen a result, and it should be the same. This is a big opportunity for India to make a comeback and take the series. But for that, they have to put pressure on the English team. I felt that batting first in the third Test was a blessing in disguise as the Indians seemed keen to bat second in both the first two games. You have to bat first, put up runs on the board and put pressure on the English batsmen. They are not in the best form at the moment, and the Indians should look to exploit that,” he pointed.