All eyes will be on England’s Tour of India which starts later this month. The Tour will feature five Tests, which start on January 25, while the final Test will be played in March. England would be keen to turn their fortunes around in 2024 as last time they lost 3-1 on Indian soil. Ahead of the series, a report by The Telegraph has claimed that England will be bringing in their own chef to India for fear of falling ill. The report is titled: “England will take chef to India to avoid players falling ill.”
The report also claims that England are the first cricket side to “regularly tour with their own cook, despite risk of offending their hosts.”
Ex India star Aakash Chopra took a brutal ‘IPL’ dig on the report.
“Good idea. I’m sure that majority of English players must be bringing in their chefs for the IPL too….year after year. AS IF,” he wrote in a post on X.
Good idea.
I’m sure that majority of English players must be bringing in their chefs for the IPL too….year after year. AS IF https://t.co/A991b7LG2q
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 6, 2024
Ahead of the series, former England pacer Harmison who is also a close friend of Stokes questioned England arriving in India just three days before the five-match Test series.
He felt that the lack of acclimation could turn out to be a recipe for disaster. He also went on to claim that England could go on to “deserve to get beaten 5-0”.
“If England go in three days before, they deserve to get beaten 5-0, they really do. I’m an old man. And that’s what they’re going to say: ‘Times have changed, the game has changed.’ But I tell you what, preparation hasn’t changed,” Steve Harmison said in a video which has gone viral.
“You cannot go into India underprepared. You cannot go into India over-prepared. You could be in India six weeks before and still not be prepared for that first Test and the emotion of that. You talk about (Kevin) Pietersen, and you talk about (Andrew) Strauss and (Alastair) Cook in that great side. The only side to have won there. What would they have said if you told them that you are going to India three days before.
“To be honest, I love this new approach. I love Ben Stokes, the Brendon McCullum approach, obviously Rob Key, and everything that they have done, ECB have done. But I’m sorry, going in three days before [the India series]. You would never do that for an Ashes Test series.”
Topics mentioned in this article
