Former captain David Gower has warned England risk scuppering their chances of winning an “immense, box-office” Test series in India by sti...
Former captain David Gower has warned England risk scuppering their chances of winning an “immense, box-office” Test series in India by sticking rigidly to a player-rotation policy.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler is heading home after the first Test at Chennai starting on Friday, while Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran are being rested until the third match of the four-game series.
Star all-rounder Ben Stokes and fast bowler Jofra Archer have returned to the squad after sitting out the Sri Lanka series, which England swept 2-0.
Gower was sympathetic to the demands of a schedule that sees England play at least 17 Tests in 2021 and said the strain of spending prolonged spells inside bio-secure bubbles was something “you should not overlook”.
Nevertheless Gower questioned an approach that could dent Joe Root’s side’s chances of a rare series success in India and with it a place in the inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Lord’s in June.
“Forget the World Test Championship for a moment, this is now as historic a series as any,” said Gower, who led England to a 2-1 triumph in India in 1984/85.
“India-England is one of the flagstaff series, it’s an immense series, a box-office series,” added Gower, one of England’s greatest batsmen who...
