The Test series defeat to India came in extreme conditions and Joe Root’s side can bounce back this summer
Amid all the despair about England’s heavy defeat in the Test series in India, it is important to keep some perspective: before the tour started almost everyone I spoke to was predicting a 4-0 defeat and, though it was in the end only a little less one-sided than that, Joe Root’s side avoided a whitewash and managed to pull off one of their best away results in recent years.
India’s record at home is incredible and they came into the series full of confidence after winning in Australia; England had an inexperienced batting lineup, particularly against spin, and badly needed a top-level, ready-to-go second spinner. The series threw up plenty of issues for them, areas they have to work on if they want to move towards being the best in the world, but I don’t think the result was surprising. When you put it in perspective, it was probably about par.
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