England will be back in India, aiming to repeat the historic 2012 Test series triumph that etched their names in cricketing folklore. This time, untested spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley will step into the shoes of legends Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, hoping to weave their own magic on the subcontinent’s turning tracks. Facing them will be India greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Swann, reminiscing on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, painted a vivid picture of that momentous victory. He lauded Panesar’s “childlike innocence” and “incredible” bowling, a stark contrast to his own “fairly good” performance. England’s bold decision to debut Joe Root in the final Test paid off, while a young Virat Kohli, then on the cusp of greatness, served a warning with a defiant century (103) alongside MS Dhoni (99).
“We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke [Virat Kohli],” Swann revealed, emphasizing Kohli’s competitive spirit. Steven Finn’s verbal battle with the fiery youngster backfired spectacularly, showcasing Kohli’s hunger for a fight.
“Steven Finn got driven for a couple of incredible fours and he lost the plot and had a got at him and realised his mistake straight away. Virat roared up like a tiger and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere,” Swann added.
Not Virat Kohli! Panesar was hero in series
However, amidst the memories of Virat Kohli’s fiery spirit and Pujara’s nimble footwork, it was Panesar who truly owned the series. His 17 wickets, with their perfect shape and unwavering consistency, stood head and shoulders above the rest.
England’s upcoming challenge starts in Hyderabad on January 25th, where the ghosts of 2012 will surely echo. Can the new generation of spinners rise to the occasion and spin another chapter of England’s Indian conquest? Or will Virat Kohli and his men reign supreme on their home turf?
The five-Test series promises a renewed battle between youthful ambition and experienced mastery, between the unknowns of Bashir and Hartley and the familiar grit of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. The stage is set for a spellbinding cricketing spectacle, where memories of Monty’s magic and Virat Kohli’s roar will intertwine with the hopes and dreams of a new generation.
