Retired England seamer Steven Finn feels that to win the next Test series, the English must first win over Indian supporters. The retired cricketer believes the Indian public’s behavior would vary based on the home team’s performance. Steven Finn’s advice for England before the Test series.
The five-Test series in India, which starts on January 25th, will be a litmus test for Ben Stokes’ team. With England’s batsmen failing against spin on their past two visits, few feel they will win in India.
Steven Finn’s advice for England before the Test series
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, Finn said: “If they do well and make an excellent description of their own, as the match goes on the tide may shift since we know how polarising the Indian cricket team can be to their fans depending on how they are playing.”
The 34-year-old recounted how England sought to win over the crowds during their tours to India, Australia, and South Africa while he was playing.
“The 3 greatest tours that I traveled on, were India 2012, Australia 2010-11, and South Africa 2016, all three them. One of the intentions for us was to make an effort to bring the opposition public on our side and turn them against their team,” he stated. “That’s an enormous advantage to you, and having Stokes and McCullum at the helm allows England to do that.”
In 2012, England won an incredible series against India, and Finn was a member of the team. The tourists lost the opening Test by nine wickets, but they recovered magnificently to win.
The previous Middlesex seamer went on to say that because a few Englishmen are playing in the IPL, there’s a chance the Indian audience may support them.
“I feel the IPL superstardom of some of the players will count to England’s benefit,” he stated. “Aside from Kevin Pietersen, not many players on the 2012 squad were Indian superstars; however, several players this time around have participated in the IPL and are stars there. That should count, I believe.
On August 14, 2023, Finn declared his retirement from all forms of cricket. He participated in 21 T20Is, 61 ODIs, and 36 Tests.