England vs India, 2018: "We are the only side that can beat England in their own backyard," says Ravindra Jadeja 

What's the story?

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja acclaimed ahead of the first Test that India is the only side in the world who can beat England on English soil.

In case you didn't know...

The Test series between England and India is all set to start today, 1st August, at the picturesque Edgbaston ground in Birmingham. The Englishmen have already announced their playing XI for the first Test against India.

Adil Rashid, who recently made a comeback into the squad on the back of some excellent performances in the limited-over cricket, has been cited in the XI as the only spinner.

England's Playing XI for the first Test: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson.

The details

Ravindra Jadeja, in his interview with ESPNCricinfo, said, “One good thing about Indian cricket is that we have options. Most of the international teams don’t have bowling options left after retirement, but we have everything right now. We have a positive approach towards this series and we genuinely feel that we are the only side that can beat England in their own backyard."

When asked about the possibility of India fielding two left-arm spinners in the playing XI for the first Test against England, Jadeja said, "Anything can happen. Kuldeep has really been playing well."

Jadeja maintained that India are now an experienced side. “Yes, we have more experienced players and most of our players have played a minimum of 25-30 Test matches. Experience is useful in Test Cricket. England have good fast bowlers who can exploit their home conditions.

“We also have some good bowlers, but during our 2014 tour, we didn’t have enough experience. We were unaware of how the wicket would behave and how the weather will be. Now we are aware of the conditions and after so much experience in Test Cricket, I feel we can even dominate them,” Jadeja concluded.

The interview concluded with Jadeja saying, "He is my friend now," when asked about his altercation with James Anderson during his tour to England in 2014.

What's next

Having considered the recent developments in the Indian team, it is highly unlikely that Jadeja will find a place in the playing XI for the 1st Test against England. With Ashwin ready to roar, India might opt for the combination of Ashwin and Kuldeep if ever they are in a need of two spinners.