'Amazing opportunity to see how we go in those conditions' - Zak Crawley keen to test Bazball's effectiveness in India
"In India, the ball sometimes seams and swings a bit - and they've got extraordinary seamers - so hopefully, there are a couple of pitches there that are conducive to our style of play," said Crawley.
England batter Zak Crawley is eagerly anticipating the forthcoming five-match Test series in India, viewing it as a golden opportunity to assess the Bazball style in the diverse sub-continent conditions. The series is slated to commence on January 25, marking England's return to Test cricket following a six-month hiatus.
Recalling England's previous struggles against Indian spinners during their last tour in early 2021, wherein they faced crushing defeats in consecutive Tests after winning the first match, Crawley acknowledged the impending challenge. Nevertheless, he exudes confidence in the team's adaptability, be it against seam or spin bowling.
Crawley admitted to being unfamiliar with the Indian grounds and their characteristics but remained hopeful of discovering pitches that complement England's strengths. He lauded India's seam bowlers and acknowledged the necessity of efficiently dealing with spin, considering India's past proficiency in exploiting spinners to their advantage.
"I don't possess much knowledge about their grounds," Crawley told ESPNcricinfo. "In India, the ball sometimes seams and swings a bit - and they've got extraordinary seamers - so hopefully, there are a couple of pitches there that are conducive to our style of play.
"But if it's spinning, I believe we handle spin quite effectively as well. We'll have to adjust and observe what we encounter. However, those grounds are relatively unfamiliar - I'm uncertain whether they'll be as challenging as Ahmedabad and Chennai, where we were last time.
"I can't remember having six months off [between Tests] before. I'll tick off a bit of T20 and hopefully a bit of white-ball stuff somewhere, but then [getting] back into it in India will be an amazing opportunity for our team to see how we go in those conditions," he added.
Finishing the 2023 Ashes as England's leading run-scorer with an impressive 480 runs, Crawley expressed contentment with his performance. His tally was the highest by an England opener in a home Ashes series since Mike Atherton's in 1993.
"I'm pleased with that statistic," Crawley said. "It's a noteworthy one." He acknowledged that he would have deemed it "quite improbable" to be at the top of England's run charts before the series. "I've always had faith in myself, so I knew I had some commendable innings in me - but I must say it was unlikely," he added.
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