‘They’ve got bowlers who can win Test cricket in all conditions’: Malan lauds Indian attack ahead of Headingley Test
While addressing a pre-match virtual presser, Dawid Malan said the ‘well-led’ visiting team has got the firepower to win Tests in all conditions.
England batsman Dawid Malan is looking forward to his Test return in the third match against India at Headingley. The left-hand batsman is back in England’s Test set-up after a hiatus of three years and is expected to find a spot in the playing XI.
Ahead of the third Test, Malan lauded India’s bowling attack that has left no stone unturned in troubling the home batters so far in the series. While addressing a pre-match virtual presser, Malan said the ‘well-led’ visiting team has got the firepower to win Tests in all conditions.
“I think they (India) are very well led; I think Virat (Kohli), the way he goes about his business, he is very infectious and you know he drags a lot of people with him. They have also got a lot of depth not only in their batting but in their bowling as well, they have got bowlers that can win Test cricket in all conditions. They just have a lot of depth and they are fantastic competitors,” Malan said at the virtual presser.
Malan has scored 724 runs from 15 Tests after making his debut against South Africa in 2017. He last played a Test against India at Birmingham in August 2018.
Asked specifically whether he has a different approach and the challenges he has faced while batting at number three Malan said, “It is actually not something that I have done a lot in my career in red-ball cricket, I might have done it 25 or 30 times. I try and play the same way; however, I play.”
“I try and defend late, I try and leave as far as I can and try and put the bad ball away and I don't think that changes much in the position,” he explained.
“If they bowl me 30 good balls and I manage to survive those 30 good balls then hopefully in the next 30 you get some bad balls...I just walk and play the same way as I would be batting at four, where I have batted the majority of my career and hopefully what I have is good enough to succeed,” he signed off.
England skipper Joe Root on Monday had said that the addition of Malan will bolster the top-three of his side and hopefully it will result in a good outcome, in the third Test.
(With PTI Inputs)