Former England captain Nasser Hussain has ruled out any chance of India winning the five-match Test series starting on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.Hussain believes the Shubman Gill-led side will struggle against Ben Stokes’ England.“England have a very good record at home, and India will miss the runs and experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli,” Hussain wrote in his column for Mail Sport.“It’s a hard one to call, but I think home advantage will swing it England’s way, and I’m going for 3-1.”
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Earlier, former England off-spinner Graeme Swann had predicted that the upcoming Test series against India would serve as the perfect warm-up for the Ashes.“It’s got to be the perfect warm-up for the Ashes, to be honest. India is a huge series. The last two or three times we’ve gone to India, we’ve been thoroughly outplayed. So, in our own backyard, on home turf, we need to beat India. We need to play well,” Swann said.
He also predicted a 4-1 series win for England.“They are not going to have Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma — two absolute superstars with the bat.“So, yes, they have great players coming in, but we’ve got bowlers who exploit our conditions well and bowl really effectively.“I think England must look to win this series, and they should aim to do it convincingly.“I would take 4-1, but 3-2 at a push. I really hope we do well and carry that confidence into the Ashes,” Swann added.
