New Delhi, July 21 Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes India have a good chance of winning the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy if they can focus on the basics and use the strength of the pitch at Old Trafford to their advantage.
India head into the fourth Test on the back of an agonising 22-run defeat at Lord’s which saw them fall down to 1-2 in the tour of England.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Panesar spoke on how the pitch will play out over the course of five days and how there will be something on offer for everyone.
“I think India’s got a very good chance of doing well in the next Test match. The pitch will have everything to offer but it’s about application and if they can do that, they will have a good chance of winning,” Panesar told IANS.
In the nine Test matches that India have played at Old Trafford, England have won on four occasions, with five matches ending in a draw. Their last trip to the venue came under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2014, when they were playing at the venue for the first time in 24 years and ended in a defeat by an innings and 54 runs.
“It’s going to be a good batting and bowling wicket, with the spinners getting something later on. There will be everything on offer for everyone. If you bowl badly, you’ll be punished. While batting there will be pace and bounce, it will be the fastest pitch of the series so far. The bowlers will have to work hard to take wickets, and the batters will not be able to play loose shots and get away with it,” he added.
Panesar, who played 50 Test matches for England in his playing days, is no stranger to Old Trafford and had recorded his best-ever figures at the venue, when he claimed 10-187 against the West Indies in 2017.
The 42-year-old spoke on the mindset he used, which helped him shine on the biggest stages during his career. "While playing for England, the key was the processes. I focused on my preparation and processes, it helped me handle the pressure. It would have been a lot harder had I been focusing on the outcome.
"It was tough, we had to be resilient and mentally strong. That is what is most important and everything else falls into place. Take the importance out of the equation; the bigger the occasion, less important it is in the mindset so you can perform at your best. I tend to perform better when stakes are higher; I used to enjoy bowling against the best batters in the world,” Panesar concluded.
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