• Source:JND
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Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has expressed confidence in India's prospects in the ongoing five-match Test series against England. Ganguly believes that England missed an opportunity to set themselves up for success in the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad by not posting a higher score in their first innings.

In a recent statement, Ganguly remarked that scoring around 350 runs in the first innings would have given England a better chance in the match. The first Test saw England opting to bat after winning the toss and posting a total of 311 in their first innings.

Ganguly stated, "India will win the series, the matter is whether they will win it 4-0 or 5-0. Every Test will be decisive. England could have won this Test match had they batted well. One cannot win against India by making 230 or 240 runs on Indian soil. Had they made 350 or 400, they could have beaten India, but they weren't able to do that. It's a tough series for England. Any team other than the Australia of that era could not create any impact here."

Addressing the concept of "Bazball," Ganguly noted that this approach, characterized by fast-paced gameplay, might not be effective on spinning tracks in India. "Bazball is an approach where the match is played in a fast manner. India have spinning wickets and so, Bazball will not be applicable here," Ganguly said.

Ganguly also pointed out the importance of young talents stepping up in the absence of key players like Virat Kohli. With the Indian team missing some prominent figures, including Kohli, Ganguly highlighted that players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have an opportunity to make a significant impact and must seize their chances in the series.

"They deserve to play for India. In his lengthy career, he will miss some Test matches. It is also a good opportunity for youngsters to cash in. Yashahvi has played well and Subhman has to play well. There is a lot of competition for spots in the batting lineup."

Ganguly also added, "According to me, Yashasvi is an all-format player. Rishabh Pant is also a huge player when he comes after recovering from an injury. Shreyas Iyer, Pant, and Shubman Gill have to adapt a lot."