Playing India a huge challenge: Strauss
England captain likens the upcoming series to Ashes.
LONDON:
England captain Andrew Strauss is all set to taking on the challenge of beating India in the coming four-match series, which begins on July 21.
India are the top-ranked Test side, and Strauss admitted that only a special effort will help outsmart the visitors.
“Playing the number one side in the world, there’s no bigger challenge than that,” he said. “We definitely have the capability to beat [them] but we’re not going to win this series without playing at our very best. It’s a huge challenge.”
England go into the contest oozing with confidence after humbling Sri Lanka recently, but Strauss admitted that taking on India will be a different prospect altogether.
“This series against India is certainly up there with the Ashes. I think the one thing we have in our advantage over the Ashes is home advantage. But you only have to look at what India have done in the last two years to know they’ll be incredibly confident.”
On the prospect of India maestro Sachin Tendulkar, achieving his 100th international century against his team, Strauss vowed to delay that milestone for as long as it is possible.
“The longer it goes on, that he’s on 99, the better. We know what a quality player Sachin is.”
But the ‘Little Master’ insisted he was not thinking of personal milestones and reckons any records he set “might be broken by someone else”.
“I’m not thinking of records,” he said. “I’m just thinking of enjoying this tour.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.
England captain Andrew Strauss is all set to taking on the challenge of beating India in the coming four-match series, which begins on July 21.
India are the top-ranked Test side, and Strauss admitted that only a special effort will help outsmart the visitors.
“Playing the number one side in the world, there’s no bigger challenge than that,” he said. “We definitely have the capability to beat [them] but we’re not going to win this series without playing at our very best. It’s a huge challenge.”
England go into the contest oozing with confidence after humbling Sri Lanka recently, but Strauss admitted that taking on India will be a different prospect altogether.
“This series against India is certainly up there with the Ashes. I think the one thing we have in our advantage over the Ashes is home advantage. But you only have to look at what India have done in the last two years to know they’ll be incredibly confident.”
On the prospect of India maestro Sachin Tendulkar, achieving his 100th international century against his team, Strauss vowed to delay that milestone for as long as it is possible.
“The longer it goes on, that he’s on 99, the better. We know what a quality player Sachin is.”
But the ‘Little Master’ insisted he was not thinking of personal milestones and reckons any records he set “might be broken by someone else”.
“I’m not thinking of records,” he said. “I’m just thinking of enjoying this tour.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.