“Ashwin had a great tour of Australia and will come into the series with tons of confidence. How England play Ashwin will decide the outcome of the series. Ashwin has become smarter with the way he has bowled in recent times and is in prime form,” Panesar told TOI.
He also admitted that Ravindra Jadeja’s absence due to injury will certainly be felt by the hosts. Jadeja fractured his thumb during the third Test in Australia.
“Jadeja will be missed. The second spinner will be crucial for India as Ashwin will need support from the other end to put England under pressure. They have named Axar Patel in the squad but I do believe that Jadeja adds a different dimension to the Indian team,” Panesar, himself a former left-arm spinner, added.
Panesar also opined that England captain Joe Root will have to be at his very best if England are to do well in India.
“If England are to have a chance of winning the series, Root will have to bat well. He needs to bat for long periods of time just like Alastair Cook did during the 2012-13 series. He has been brilliant in Sri Lanka and I do hope Root continues batting in the same way against India,” Panesar further said.
While India beat Australia 2-1 in Australia, England too are coming off a 2-0 triumph in Sri Lanka
--By A Cricket Correspondent
