India will begin their ICC WTC 2025-27 cycle against England by playing a 5 Test match series. The rivalry between the two teams has been iconic, with the last series being squared 2-2 in England during 2021-22. Skipper Rohit Sharma is under the scutiny despite winning ICC CT 2025. There are questions raised over Rohit Sharma‘s ultra-aggressive batting technique in Test cricket with the skipper’s average being 10.93 after 15 innings in eight Test matches of the 2024-25 season.
England have been quite scratchy in the ICC WTC 2023-25 cycle. Ben Stokes’ brigade were outclassed by Pakistan & India on turning tracks as their away record hasn’t been promising, with losing 6 matches out of 8. The “Bazball” ideology hasn’t yielded results with England crashing out of ICC CT 2025; in fact ECB needs a massive turnaround to dictate the terms.
We need Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Shami to be 100 percent- Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma was seen in the latest episode of the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast with Michael Clarke. Rohit Sharma was quite optimistic that India could win the Test series in England. Indian skipper was quite wary of the fact that Shami & Bumrah need to be fit after the grueling IPL 2025.
“Absolutely (India has a red-hot chance of beating England in England?). Last time we played these guys, it was 2-2. We need some of these guys (Bumrah and Shami) to be 100 percent. We’ve just got to make sure they come out of the IPL really well,” said Rohit Sharma.
“This is the most challenging one. I know it’s only four overs, but you play today, travel tomorrow, and then play again. That’s the challenging part – travelling all across the country – and it’s tough. I hope these two guys, along with the other bowlers, come out of the IPL. If we have a fit team going to England, we will have a great series. It will be a good challenge for us,” he added.
Middle order concerns for India
It will be interesting to see whether the veteran batters Cheteshwar Pujara & Ajinkya Rahane would be considered for England tests. Cheteshwar Pujara has been completely overlooked after the ICC WTC 2021-23 final defeat. Cheteshwar Pujara’s not-so-great strike rate has been a concern as he hasn’t been able to up the ante.
We all witnessed in BGT 2024-25 how India lost 3 Test matches after winning the opening Test match. The BGT 2024-25 series, along with New Zealand Tests, showcased how fragile India’s middle order was. Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership in red ball cricket, India hasn’t been achieved to able greatness as compared to Rohit’s white ball success ratio, which is commendable, and that is a point which can’t be overlooked easily.
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