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The highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and England will kick-start from January 25 with the first match being played in Hyderabad. Talking about the Test rivalry between the two teams, England have an upper edge over India. However, India will be having the home advantage and it will be a daunting task in front of the Three Lions. Recently, former England spinner Graeme Swann revealed some unheard tales about England’s 2012 tour of India, where the visitors claimed victory 2-1 in the four-match Test series.
Despite losing the first match, England bounced back in style and registered victories in next two games and clinched the series. The fourth match of the series ended in a draw, where Virat Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni scored 103 and 99 runs respectively.
Speaking about Kohli, Swann revealed that the England players were advised not to get into an argument with the Delhi-based batter. He also stated that how Kohli brutally scored runs off Steve Finn, after the two involved into a spat.
“We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke (Virat Kohli). Steven Finn got driven for a couple of incredible fours and he lost the plot and had a got at him and realised his mistake straight away. Virat roared up like a tiger and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere,” Swann during a Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
Swann and his fellow spinner Monty Panesar were the stars for England as they scalped a total of 20 and 17 wickets, respectively. Swann went on to praise Monty
“The secret to Test cricket is to treat it as if you are the best player in the world and everyone else has to dance to your tune. I look back on that Test and I bowled fairly well but I didn’t feel like I was doing anything special. I was just supporting Monty on the other end because he was bowling 65mph, pitching middle and leg, fizzing past the outside edge and he was incredible in that game,” said Swann.
“I always liked playing with Monty, he had this childlike innocence about him and his love for cricket which was just amazing. I would always say to him I wish I could bowl like you, look at the shape you get on the ball, look at how consistent you are and he would just grin like a kid at Christmas,” he added.
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