VVS Laxman : India’s Forthcoming 5 Matches Test Series Vs England Greatest Examination

Aug 5, 2021 at 9:37 PM

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VVS Laxman : India’s Forthcoming 5 Matches Test Series Vs England Greatest Examination

VVS Laxman, former India cricketer calls India’s forthcoming Test series against England as their greatest examination. India has won a Test series in England thrice – in 1971 (under Ajit Wadekar’s captaincy), in 1986 (under Kapil Dev’s captaincy), and in 2007 (under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy).

India skipper Virat Kohli will aim to join the elite list of captains when India starts their five-match Test series campaign against England on August 4.

VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman. (Photo Source: Twitter)

VVS Laxman: India’s Focus Have To Maintain Standards In 2nd WTC After Being The Most Consistent Side And Finalists Of 1st WTC

After 2007, India toured England three times (2011, 2014, and 2018), but failed to add another series win on English soil. India will take on England in the first Test on August 4 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The second Test (Aug 12 – Aug 16) will be played at Lord’s, the third (Aug 25 – Aug 29) at Headingley, the fourth (Sep 02 – Sep 06) at Kennington Oval, and the fifth and final Test (Sep 10 – Sep 14) at Old Trafford.

 

 

“Even though they had nothing to show for their efforts in the end, India were the most consistent side of the inaugural World Test Championship. As the second WTC gets under way on Wednesday in Nottingham with the first of five Tests against England, India’s focus will be to maintain the standards they have set over the last few years, in the knowledge that if they stick to their disciplines, rewards will follow,” VVS Laxman wrote in bis column for Times of India.

“Top sides pride themselves on exponentially becoming better versions of themselves. One of the big challenges in Test cricket is conquering foreign lands. Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri will be mindful that India haven’t won a series in England since 2007, and that their last three outings have ended in heavy defeats. The endeavour this time will be to arrest that trend, which is not an unrealistic expectation given the quality of resources at their disposal,” VVS Laxman said.

Indian test team
Indian test team[photo: Twitter]

“This series will be India’s greatest examination during the new WTC cycle. With all due respect, South Africa aren’t quite the same side as they were and India have done well in that country over the years, so they will fancy their chances of a maiden series win there later in the year. A good display in England will do wonders for India’s confidence as well as their standing in Test cricket,” VVS Laxman said.

India’s Schedule For The Next World Test Championship Cycle Announced as the ICC World Test Championship’s 2nd edition from 2021-2023 will begin with the 5-match Test series against England and end with the tour of Bangladesh. India’s second assignment in the Test Championship (2021-23) will be against defending champions New Zealand at home.

Their third assignment will be when they lock horns with South Africa in December-January in the Rainbow nation before hosting Sri Lanka in a 3-match Test series. After a lengthy break from the longest format of the game, the team will then battle it out against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will take place in the second half of 2022. The team’s second WTC campaign will conclude with a 2-match Test series against Bangladesh.

VVS Laxman is one of the few players to have played 100 Test matches, without ever appearing in a One-Day Cricket World Cup.

VVS Laxman: Indian Players Have Endured Stresses By Being In Bio Bubble

Ben Stokes has withdrawn from the upcoming 5-match Test series against India which begins from August 4 in Nottingham as he has decided to ‘prioritize his mental wellbeing’. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday confirmed that all-rounder Ben Stokes will take an indefinite break from all forms of cricket.

“England will be without Ben Stokes, whose withdrawal owing to mental health issues is another grim reminder of the extraordinary times we live in. Ben is acknowledged as one of the fiercest competitors, driven by tremendous mental strength to go with his brilliance on the field. What this latest instance goes to show is that this is an issue that can afflict anyone at any stage, and to seek assistance is definitely not a sign of weakness,” he said.

Ben Stokes will not be available for England's Test series against India.© AFP
Ben Stokes will not be available for England’s Test series against India.© AFP’

“India’s cricketers have been in various bubbles for nearly a year now, and I can only imagine the stresses and apprehensions they must have endured, particularly in light of Rishabh Pant in England and Krunal Pandya in Sri Lanka testing Covid-positive. I hope the authorities have facilitated the availability of mental health counselors to whom the players can turn with trust should they so feel the need,” VVS Laxman added.

India’s upcoming five-match Test series against England which will start on August 4 will reportedly begin the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23. The inaugural cycle of the WTC 2019-21 came to an end earlier this month with New Zealand beating India in the final at Southampton to win the title.

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