South African pace ace Dale Steyn feels Virat Kohli-led India will give England a good run for their money in the upcoming five-match Test series
India skipper Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the second Test against South Africa in Centurion earlier this year. Pic/AFP
With honours shared so far between India and England, after the former won the T20I series and the latter clinched the ODI series, the big contest between the two teams begins on August 1 when Virat Kohli's No. 1 Test team will square off against the fifth-placed Englishmen led by Joe Root in the first of five Tests.
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This season is considered to be a litmus test of Kohli's captaincy with Team India mostly playing overseas. After their courageous fightback in South Africa earlier this year, expectations are sky high with many expecting Kohli's men to win India's first Test series in England since 2007. South African pace ace Dale Steyn had no qualms in admitting that anything's possible with Kohli & Co.
'A determined character'
"With the team being led by Virat, the Indians are capable of anything. I know Virat pretty well and he is a very determined character. The five-Test series is going to be good for one team. If one team is on a roll, the other might just be blown away. By the third Test, they might not even rock up for the fourth and fifth. If I know Virat like I think I do, it's going to be a hard fought five Test matches," Steyn, who is in the city to promote GoPro cameras, said yesterday. "I won't make any predictions, but I think the advantage lies with England. India are becoming a very good touring team but if I have to put my money, it'll be England," Steyn added. There's a lot of talk about the conditions being favourable to India due to a heat wave and dry pitches but Steyn, who was in England last month, representing Hampshire in the County Championship, felt that the hosts will still have the edge.
Conditions matter
"If the ball swings, they [pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad] will play a massive role. But if it doesn't swing, then how are they going to get someone like Kohli out? Shikhar [Dhawan] opens the batting. They came to South Africa and just got better. It could be true in England too. It's massively dry, a lot of runs will be scored but England are used to such conditions. Home series generally go to the home team. The England bowlers are a little more skilled than the Indians and that's where the difference will be. It's the tipping point," said Steyn.
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