Former England spinner Graeme Swann has stirred controversy in cricket world ahead of the high-profile India vs England Test series by labeling it a “perfect warm-up” for the Ashes later this year. His remarks, made during an interview with Sky Sports, have not sat well with cricket fans, especially in India who view the series as a major contest on its own merit.
Swann, while acknowledging India’s dominance in recent head-to-head meetings, expressed confidence in England’s chances at home and emphasized the importance of winning the upcoming five-match series.
“It’s kind of a perfect warm-up for the Ashes to be honest…India is a huge series. The last 2-3 times we have gone to India, we have been thoroughly outplayed. So in our own backyard, our home turf, we need to beat India. We need to play well. They are not gonna have Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, two absolute,” Swann told Sky Sports.
Despite missing key figures like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Swann suggested that England’s bowlers can exploit home conditions effectively.
“So, without that, yes, they have got great players coming in instead, but we have bowlers who can exploit our conditions well, who can bowl really well. I think England must look to win this series and I think they should look to win it convincingly as well. I will take 4-1, 3-2. I will push, but I really hope we do well and get the confidence moving into the Ashes,” he added.
Many fans took to social media to express their disapproval, with some reminding Swann of England’s recent 4-1 defeat in India during the 2023–24 series. Some even boldly predicted a 5-0 whitewash in India’s favor this time around.
Interestingly, it wasn’t just Indian fans who took offense. An England supporter on social media also criticized the statement, writing: “Not only is it disrespectful to call any test series a warm up for the Ashes, it’s bordering on arrogance to do so for a series against India.”
The highly anticipated five-Test series begins on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds, marking a new era for Team India under the captaincy of Shubman Gill. With England finishing fifth in the last World Test Championship cycle, both teams will view this clash as more than just preparation, it’s a proving ground with pride and momentum on the line. The Ashes meanwhile is schedule to play in Australia, starting from November 21. Australia won the last Ashes series that was played in England.
India Squad for England Test Series:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk) (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav.
