Mark Butcher ‘Terrified’ by England’s India Test Prep

England is facing a challenging seven-week away Test series in India, set to begin on January 25 in Hyderabad. Former cricketer Mark Butcher expresses concerns about England’s preparation for the high-profile series.

The England team, currently training in the UAE, will arrive in India just three days before the first match. With many players having limited experience in red-ball cricket leading up to the series, having primarily played white-ball cricket, Butcher worries that England might struggle due to inadequate practice.

India has not lost a Test series at home in over a decade, with their last home series defeat against England in 2012.

Butcher acknowledges the lack of practice among England players and emphasizes the importance of proper preparation. He believes that going to India without adequate readiness could tarnish England’s reputation as a Test unit.

He also questions why England did not travel to India earlier for training and practice matches, considering the significant gap between their last Test match in July and the series in India.

Here is England’s squad for the India Tests:
– Ben Stokes (captain)
– Rehan Ahmed
– James Anderson
– Gus Atkinson
– Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper)
– Shoaib Bashir
– Harry Brook
– Zak Crawley
– Ben Duckett
– Ben Foakes
– Tom Hartley
– Jack Leach
– Ollie Pope
– Ollie Robinson
– Joe Root
– Mark Wood

The Test schedule for India vs. England 2024:
– 1st Test – January 25-29 – Hyderabad
– 2nd Test – February 2-6 – Vizag
– 3rd Test – February 15-19 – Rajkot
– 4th Test – February 23-27 – Ranchi
– 5th Test – March 7-11 – Dharamsala