Sunil Gavaskar predicts golden English summer for Virat Kohli and Co

India captain Virat Kohli (left) celebrates a NZ wicket with teammates during the first Test at Wellington last year. Picture/AFP

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has predicted a golden summer for the Indian team which will make their way to England soon for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand followed by a six-Test series against England.

"This summer in England promises to be the golden summer of Indian cricket. After the World Test Championship final there is a gap of about six weeks before the Test series starts against England and that should be enough for the team to play some practice games and tune-up for what England hurls at them.

"Having moaned about the pitches in India earlier in the year, it won't be a surprise if the groundsmen in England leave a little grass on the surface. That is no longer a worry as India has an attack that will also thrive on it and cause problems for the England batsmen too," wrote Gavaskar in his Sunday Mid-day column.
Gavaskar praised the Virat Kohli-led Indian team for their ability to rise above adversity to beat the strongest of opponents and cited the last Australian tour as an example.

The Mumbai-based icon, who is one of the leading voices in world cricket, felt India's final frontier will be South Africa, where they have yet to win a Test series. Gavaskar reckoned India are in a great position to break that unsuccessful run there this year considering the mess South Africa are in at the moment.

"If India go on to beat South Africa later in the winter and with South African cricket in the disarray that it is in currently, winning there should not be too much of a problem, that will erase any doubts that this team is the greatest Indian Test team in history.

"South Africa is the final frontier, the only top country remaining that India hasn't beaten in a Test series there. If India do that then they will truly have had a year to cherish and remember starting with the win in Australia and culminating with another series win in South Africa," stressed Gavaskar.

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