IND vs ENG: Owais Shah predicts the Test series scoreline

England and India are all set to lock horns against each other in the four-match Test series, starting from February 5 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This will be followed by the two teams featuring against each other in five T20 Internationals and three One Day Internationals.

With the four-match Test series just a few days away, former middle-order batsman Owais Shah, who represented England in 6 Test matches and 71 One Day Internationals, predicted the result of the Test series saying that the hosts are the favourites to win and can clinch the Test series by 2-1.

Owais believes that the England team lacks bowlers who can confront the Indian batsmen and can trouble them on the pitches of India.

“I don’t think we have the bowlers to do the business in India, unfortunately, this time. I think it might be 2-1 to India,” Shah told Sports Today.

The spin bowling department will really be tested against the strong batting lineup of India: Owais Shah

India will be soaring high with confidence as they had scripted a historic victory in the four-match Test series against Australia by 2-1 without the presence of their skipper Virat Kohli and other key players especially the pacers. England will also be pumped up to play against India as they are coming after defeating Sri Lanka by 2-0 in the two-match Test series at Galle International Stadium.

Though Owais Shah believes that England will be high on confidence after a stunning victory against Sri Lanka, they will encounter problems in India as the spinners like Dom Bess and Jack Leach aren’t competent enough to tackle India’s star-studded batting line-up.

England will get a lot of confidence from what they did in Sri Lanka. 2-0 is a really good achievement. Also the conditions they were given, the ball was turning from Day 1 of the first Test which is unlike a Test wicket. It was challenging conditions and the way England came out on top was pretty impressive.

“I don’t think the bowlers, the two spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach, probably didn’t bowl their best but they still managed to win the Tests. They did really well on tracks that were turning, how the batsmen played on it and applied themselves. But I think the spin bowling department will really be tested against the strong batting lineup of India,” Shah added.