Stand-in skipper KL Rahul said on Monday that with a berth in the World Test Championship final on the line, a wounded Indian squad due to injuries of top players has no choice but to play an aggressive brand of cricket against Bangladesh in the two-match series commencing on Wednesday.
The Indian team will need to win its next six Test matches (two in Bangladesh and four versus Australia at home) in order to stay in the running for a top-two berth in the World Test Championship points table after losing the ODI series.
Rahul underlined that conditions and circumstances heavily influence how teams play, especially in the longest format of the game, and that England’s strategy merely serves to demonstrate that there is no one right way to play the game.
Ever since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over as captain and head coach in 2021, England has played a bold brand of cricket. Before traveling to Pakistan for a vital test of their new strategy, Stokes’ team had been unbeaten at home, triumphing against New Zealand, India, and South Africa.
Enjoyed England’s fearless approach
KL Rahul said it’s encouraging to see how England is supporting their players and their tactics and having success with it in a news conference prior to the Test series in Bangladesh.
“To watch, it’s really, really exciting. I have been watching these two games. It’s really exciting. I really enjoy watching Test cricket being played like that. Very fearless, very aggressive, taking the game on. That’s worked for them. Each team has its own way. Obviously, every team can learn a thing or two from teams that are doing well, from how they have performed and what has worked for them,” Rahul told reporters in Chattogram.
WTC final in mind
Indian squad now holds the fourth spot in the rankings with 52.08 percent of the, trailing only Australia (75 percent), South Africa (60 percent), and Sri Lanka (64 percent) which are ranked first, second and third, respectively.
“There is a Test championship (final) qualification so we will also have to be aggressive. We know where we stand and what we need to do to qualify for the final,” said Rahul during a media conference.
“Each day, each session we will assess what is required for the team in that particular moment and give our best.”
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