Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has given England a word of warning about their chances in the ongoing Test series against India, now that they have fallen 2-1 behind.
While praising Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for “creating an England team unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Smith, who is currently the director of cricket at Cricket South Africa, said India had a lot of potential in the future. He warned that he would be under severe pressure. You will win.
“There was always a lot of talent, but it seems like they took away the fear, gave people a lot of security and looked at the game in a really positive light,” he wrote on Betway. “England are definitely staying true to the Indian style of play by putting pressure on the opponent and making them think.
“It’s a very long tour and the long hours on the field in the heat and struggling against India can leave you exhausted at the end of the series.” Stay mentally fresh and positive. It’s important to keep going. your game plan. England have performed well so far and will need to stay tough for as long as possible because if India come out on top it will be very difficult to corner them. ”
No one has beaten India in a series since 2012, and three of the four Test defeats during that period came in the first match of the series. Australia and New Zealand are also dominant at home, and although England do not have a comparable win-loss record at home, they have only lost one home series in the past decade, against New Zealand in 2021. Smith noted that being able to compete away from his home is what separates the best players from the rest.
“Winning at home is the difference between a good team and a great team,” he said. “There is no greater challenge than traveling to someone else’s backyard for several months, where the crowds, media, and conditions are all there, competing there for an extended period of time, and proving that you have the team and skills to win.”
“You saw it with the great West Indies teams of the 1970s and 80s and the great Australian teams of the 1990s and 2000s. They really dominated the world.” The South African team that I captained had nine teams and we were unbeaten. While it has been an away Test series for years, there has been a lack of consistency in away games in world football recently. India, Australia and now England have had teams of great caliber back then, but if you really want to improve you need to work away from home. ”
According to Betway, the odds of England winning the fourth Test against India are 3/1.
