England assistant coach Jeetan Patel feels that home side India can’t see them producing big turning pitches for the high-octane five-match Test series beginning in January, and he defends England’s decision to train in Abu Dhabi without any scheduled warm-up games against the Indian domestic teams.
Ben Stokes-led side was criticised for not allowing enough time to acclimatize to Indian conditions before the series and for not playing any warm-up games before the first match. England’s side will spend an 11-day training camp in Abu Dhabi to prepare for the series.
In an interview with The Guardian, Jeetan Patel believes despite the differences between the conditions in Abu Dhabi and India. He stated that England players preferred the volume of practice and better control over their preparation than facing subpar warm-up opposition in India.
“Guys want volume, be it batting or bowling. But it’s going to be a fine line in terms of training for this one. I can’t see India not producing buns, especially after the recent comments from Rohit. And rightly so, that’s the whole point of home advantage. So we have requested a blend of pitches in Abu Dhabi.” Jeetan Patel said
England is apparently aiming to travel to India only three days before the start date, having completed their preparations in the United Arab Emirates. The tough spin-friendly conditions in India will undoubtedly push Ben Stokes and his team’s aggressive style of play to the ultimate test in the red-ball format of the game.
We Want Energy And Excitement Levels To Be High – Jeetan Patel
Jeetan Patel claimed that England’s decision to practice outside of India despite the prospect of turning pitches and stated that the team was motivated by mental freshness, as the tour in India will not complete until March and revealed that the players are excited to play the quality opposition in difficult conditions.
“We want to challenge the guys but also ensure they arrive in India with enough confidence to be free enough to play how they want to play, to take the game on like they have over the last two years.
“It’s also a long tour. We want energy and excitement levels to be high when they hit that first Test, rather than being a fortnight into their time in the country and not as mentally fresh as they could be,” Jeetan Patel added.
The English contingent faces a critical challenge in this Test series. Ben Stokes and Co. will be trying to lead England to their first red-ball series victory in India since 2012. The five-match Test series will culminate in mid-March.
