Former England spinner Graeme Swann had some tips for the English team, which will begin its five-Test tour of India on January 25. He remembered the team’s conversation with star Indian batter Virat Kohli, who was still getting used to the longer format at the time. Swann said on the Sky Sports Cricket show, “Test cricket is all about acting like you are the best player in the world and everyone else has to follow your lead.”
After 28 years, England won their first series in India in 2012, led by Alastair Cook. Their spin twins, Swann and Monty Panesar, made the Indian bowlers dance to their music.
“That Test series was a while ago. I bowled pretty well, but I didn’t feel like I was doing anything special.” Swann said, “I was just helping Monty on the other end because he was bowling 65 mph, pitching middle and leg, and zizzing past the outside edge. He was amazing in that game.” English won that series by a score of 2-1, and Swann and Monty both took 20 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s best spin bowler, could only get 14 wickets. This time, all English fans will be looking at spinner Shoaib Bashir, who has never played in a Test before, and fellow debutant Tom Hartley.
“I always liked playing with Monty, he had this childlike innocence about him and his love for cricket, which was just amazing.” “He would always smile like a child at Christmas when I told him, “I wish I could bowl like you. Look at the shape you give the ball. Look at how steady you are.” That is by far the best bowl he ever played for England. He was great in that series, even though he didn’t play in the first Test. He took 17 catches, he said.
England brought Joe Root in for his first Test instead of Samit Patel because they were ahead 2-1 going into the fourth and final Test. Root got 73 runs in his first Test, while Cook got 562 runs to take the lead.
James Anderson took 4/81 in the last Test and got India down to 71/4, but Virat (103) and MS Dhoni (99) fought back well and helped India get to 326/10 in response to England’s first innings score of 330.
“We were told ahead of time not to say anything to this guy [Virat Kohli] because he loves a fight on the field and chasing down scores.” That time, he hadn’t done anything in Test cricket, but we knew what he could do with white balls, Swann said. Steven Finn was driven for a couple of amazing fours, and he lost it. He yelled at him and realized right away what he had done wrong. “Virat roared like a tiger, and Finn just screamed back and got hit all over the place,” he said.
During that series, spinners got rid of Virat four times and fast bowlers twice. Swann talked about getting rid of him in the first Test and how you have to bowl a “perfect delivery” to do it. He also named the hitter that he didn’t want to play. “I got him out in the first Test, but it took a lot of beautiful balls to get him out.” The hitter I didn’t like bowling to most was Cheteshwar Pujara, Swann said. “He was very quick on his feet.” “It is strange when I look back at the team; they had VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, and the one that I did not like bowling to was Pujara,” he said.
England didn’t show any nerves during the third innings of the final Test. Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both scored hundreds, and they batted out the last 154 overs to win a draw and the series.
Shane Warne, the late great Australian spin bowler, told Swann to spin the ball as hard as he could in the first inning because the pitch wouldn’t help him much. “Shanne Warne gave me the best advice.” The first inning, he told me to spin the ball as hard as I could because the pitch wouldn’t do anything. I should also try to get some catches.
“In the second inning, relax and let the pitch do all the work. Hit the ball wherever you can to take your mind off things.” It was the best advice I got. With his body language and chirping, Warne made such amazing drama and comedy. “Everyone should look as confident as Warne did in the second inning of any game because if you can bluff the batter into thinking you are in control, then you can get wickets,” he said.
