Ian Bell, the former English batter, extends his support to the England team as he calls them a threat to the Indian team. The media slammed England after their defeat in the 2nd Test, Bell came in their favour and spoke about how the team has pushed India back with their performance in both matches.
Bell said, "I suppose the Indian media was very confident that it's going to be 5-0 before the series began. No doubt that this India team is worried about this England side, which is great. I think England has thrown some real punches to push India back. It's going to come down to again, someone like Ollie Pope did in that first game to get a big hundred, that's really important to really put yourself in the game, but they look threatening."
The series is tied at 1-1, and the 3rd Test match is about to start on February 15 in Rajkot. However, this time India will be playing with Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. Although the youngsters will get a chance to play in the rest of the matches, India will surely miss the experienced players.
'I think if someone can do what Ollie Pope did in the first Test, we can put pressure on India' - Ian Bell aims at putting pressure on India
Ian Bell has a lot of confidence in the English team and feels that if they play well and bat well, they can put pressure on the Indian team. Considering the absence of the senior players, Bell's prediction might come true. However, it will be intriguing to see how the rest of the series unfolds.
Bell said, "I think the Indian lineup has got an amazing amount of talent, but again, there will be doubt there. Not that they don’t have the talent and ability, but I feel there will be a bit more pressure at the moment on India. Let’s hope so. But it's in the balance right now. But I think if someone can do what Ollie Pope did in the first Test, we can put pressure on India."