“Won’t see a Sreesanth batting like a Don Bradman” - When MS Dhoni gave a stunning response after ENG vs IND 2011 Edgbaston Test

Team India, led by MS Dhoni, had one of their most forgettable phases in red-ball cricket when they were whitewashed 0-4 in England in 2011. To make matters worse, they endured a similar fate in Australia later that year, triggering a major transition across all departments.

One of the primary reasons behind the Men in Blue's woeful series in England was their sub-standard batting against a highly potent English attack. Rahul Dravid was the leading run-scorer of the series for India with 463 runs, but the next highest run-getter was Sachin Tendulkar, with just 273 runs. The likes of VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, and Gautam Gambhir all struggled throughout the four-match affair, averaging less than 25.

India's highest score in the entire series was 300, and in the third Test in Edgbaston, where they suffered a defeat by an innings and 242 runs, the visitors scored 224 and 244 in the first and second innings, respectively.

Following yet another batting failure, as England piled up 710-7 in their outing with the bat, Dhoni outlined the need for technical adjustments to succeed in such conditions.

"A bit is there ... you won't see a Sreesanth batting like a Don Bradman just because he wants to bat like one. What is important is to be yourself and slightly tune your batting to the conditions; you know like the Formula 1 cars do depending on the tracks," Dhoni said (via ESPN Cricinfo).

MS Dhoni played 12 Tests in England in his red-ball career, scoring 778 runs at an average of 37.05, including eight fifties.

"The away series are there to improve you as a cricketer" - MS Dhoni

Team India have faced several maulings and heartbreaks away from home in Tests over the years. The glaring series losses in England and Australia in 2011 slowly and eventually led to better things for Indian cricket.

"Cricket is a simple sport, the more you complicate it, the more complicated it gets. Giving an opponent credit and keeping the game simple are its fundamental essentials. The away series are there to improve you as a cricketer. So it is very important to not get very critical about the technical aspect, [but] to go out there and enjoy cricket," Dhoni added.

The second Test between India and England in the 2025 tour will take place at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from Wednesday, July 2, onwards.