‘Annoyed’ with Eng for resting key players for series vs Ind: Gower

Chennai, Feb 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former captain David Gower is "annoyed" with visiting England's approach to rest key players in what is a "box-office" Test series against India, beginning on Friday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

"As a Test fan, I'm slightly annoyed England have already made plans for Jos Buttler to play the one Test match. Just as an Englishman, wanting England to do well in this series, you want the best players to be available for as much of it as possible," said Gower during a conversation with former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi and veteran London-based broadcaster and writer Ashis Ray.

England had split up the veteran pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad in Sri Lanka, in the two-Test series which they won 2-0, but Gower said it was very evident that the pair was still the team's best bowlers.

Jonny Bairstow has been rested for the first two Tests of the series while wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will return to England after the first Test. Pacer Mark Wood and left-handed all-rounder Sam Curran will miss at least the first two Tests.

To qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, England need to beat India by 3-0, 3-1, or 4-0. New Zealand have already qualified for the final, to be played at Lord's, London, in June.

"For England to qualify for the WTC final, they need to have an outstanding series. They have to win by a margin of 3-0 or 4-0 which, history tells you, that the odds are against that," Gower said.

"It's [India] is a very strong side with very strong backups. I don't think the issue for a competition for a place is an issue. Forget the World Test Championship for a moment, this is now as historic a series as any. India-England is one of the flagship series. It's a box-office series," he emphasised.

Notably, Gower had led England to a 2-1 series win in India in 1984-85 and was the last captain under whom England registered a win in Chennai, in the same series.

Gower heaped praise on England captain Joe Root, who will play his 100 Test from Friday.

"If you look at Joe's figures, he is the most successful of all of us who have reached that 100-Test mark. Compared to [Geoffrey] Boycott, [Kevin] Pietersen, [Alastair] Cook, he is ahead of the game. He has got more runs now than any of us had playing our 100 Test match. He is a super player. What he did in Sri Lanka was outstanding and he knows that he needs to carry that form," he said.

"As any other captain, he wants to set an example, he wants to lead from the front and he is imminently capable of doing that," said Gower, who scored 8,231 runs in 117 matches.

Source: IANS