Former England cricketer Monty Panesar believes India has a good chance of winning the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The visitors trail 1-2 in the five-match series, having lost by 22 runs at Lord’s.
With a week between matches, India will aim to rebound, despite severe injuries that have sidelined important players. Panesar underlined that India should focus on the fundamentals and take advantage of the conditions at Old Trafford. He stated that the pitch is supposed to provide something for everyone throughout the course of five days, resulting in a good fight of bat and ball.
“I believe India has a strong possibility of performing well in the next Test match. The pitch has everything to offer, but it’s all about application, and if they can do that, they’ll have an excellent chance of winning,” Panesar told NDTV Sports.
England has won four of nine Test matches against India in Manchester, with the other five ending in draws. India last played at this venue in 2014, led by MS Dhoni. However, they were soundly defeated, losing by an innings and 54 runs.
“It will be a good batting and bowling wicket, with the spinners benefiting later on. Everything will be available for everyone. If you bowl poorly, you will be punished. While batting, there will be pace and bounce; it will be the fastest pitch of the series thus far.
The bowlers will have to work hard to gain wickets, and the batsman will not be able to play sloppy shots and get away with it,” Monty Panesar said.
Panesar, who played 50 Tests for England, had his greatest ever performance at Old Trafford, taking 10 for 187 against the West Indies in 2017. The 42-year-old reflected on the mindset that allowed him to succeed on the biggest stages of his career.
“The key to playing for England was the procedure. I concentrated on my preparation and processes, which helped me deal with the strain. “It would have been much harder if I had been focused on the outcome,” Panesar remarked.
“It was tough; we needed to be resilient and mentally strong. That is the most important thing, and everything else will come into place. Take the importance out of the equation; the larger the occasion, the less important it is in your attitude, allowing you to perform at your peak. “I tend to perform better when the stakes are higher; I used to enjoy bowling against the world’s best batters,” he said.
India
