Indian cricket team vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane admits that it will be a test of character of the batsmen when they square off against England in the five-match Test series commencing from August 1 at Edgbaston.
Meanwhile, India lost by a 3-1 margin that last time they toured England. MS Dhoni & his boys struggled for consistency in all the departments. However, Rahane believes the current squad have what it takes to reverse that result.
“In terms of skill, both teams are on par. It will be a test of our mind and character here,” Rahane said. “We want to play good cricket rather than think about the result. If you do that you put pressure on yourself… it’s all about mindset especially playing in England and how quickly you adjust and handle the situation,” he added.
The top-ranked Test side will look to end the tour on a possitive note. They started the tour on a high winning the T20I series by a 2-1 margin. However, suffered a setback when they lost the ODIs by a similar margin despite being 1-0 up.
The last time India won a series in England was way back in 2007 under Rahul Dravid. They will be the fourth Indian team to win a series in England if they manage to do so.
Ajinkya Rahane said the key to succeeding in the longest format would be to play with patience and respect the conditions.
“Patience is the key in England. It also depends on the weather,” Rahane added. “If the weather changes, it is important for the set batsman to hold back, respect the bowler and the conditions. The batsmen will have to make it count if they get set,” he concluded.
