"India take on an unbeatable appearance" – Ian Chappell puts Test series against England in perspective

Throwing light on the sustaining high of India’s historic Test series win Down Under and the return of experienced players, legendary captain Ian Chappell has opined that India start favorites in their upcoming Test series against England. The four-match series begins on February 5 in Chennai.

India scripted a memorable 2-1 victory in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, under stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and on the back of impressive performances by a slew of newcomers.

Now that Virat Kohli has come back from paternity leave and the big guns have recovered from injuries, Chappell has said that India bear an “unbeatable appearance”.

“India will start as favourites after an exhilarating victory over Australia, overcoming all obstacles. When you add the name Virat Kohli to the batting order, the team suddenly assumes a bulletproof cloak. In also adding the names R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma to the list of available players, India take on an unbeatable appearance,” Ian Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

The former Aussie skipper also noted that star all-rounder Ben Stokes and fast bowler Jofra Archer hold key to England faring well in the forthcoming series, and hence, staying in the hunt for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

“The availability of a premium player in Ben Stokes who, like [Hardik] Pandya, provides all-round ability and selection flexibility, albeit at a higher level than the Indian, is a big plus. And Jofra Archer adds sustainability to the quality of an already-strong pace attack,” Chappell, who scored 5,345 runs at an average of 42.42 across 75 Tests, reasoned.

England are currently ranked fourth in the WTC points table, behind Australia, New Zealand and India.

---

“India’s top three places them well ahead of England’s top-order” – Ian Chappell

21-year-old Shubman Gill scored 259 runs at an average of 51.80 in three Tests against Australia

England convincingly whitewashed Sri Lanka 2-0 in their most recent Test series to extend their overseas winning run to five Tests. However, Ian Chappell feels that India hold an edge over the tourists in terms of having a stronger top-order.

“It’s the top of the England order, where another returning player, Rory Burns, will reside, that the scales tip in India’s favour. India’s top three features an impressive Shubman Gill, a talented but flawed Rohit Sharma and the indomitable Cheteshwar Pujara, which places them well ahead of England’s top-order,” Chappelli wrote.

While Joe Root is currently riding a purple patch having scored a staggering 426 runs at an average of 106.5 in the two Tests against Sri Lanka, Chappell cautioned that the openers failing will further burden the England captain.

“Dom Sibley possesses the grit and determination required for success at the highest level but there are questions about his technique against the best international bowlers. Burns is another in the same category as Sibley, and if both players fail the challenges, England will be in trouble unless Joe Root continues to score at his current freakish level.

“Zak Crawley, like his Indian counterpart Gill, is talented and has great potential. Nevertheless his failure to contribute in Sri Lanka raises concerns that need to be put to rest quickly and there’s no better place or time to do that than in India,” Chappell added.

Except for Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Rory Burns – who have already served their mandatory six-day quarantine – both sides are currently undergoing self-isolation and can start training only on February 2.