Chennai conditions will suit India more than England, says former cricketer

Former England cricketer Owais Shah believes the Chennai pitch will favour the hosts more than the English spinners ahead of the four-match Test series between India and England, starting from Feb. 5.

India and England are set to play four Tests, five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The first two Tests are scheduled to be played at Chennai's M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, while the last two will take place in Ahmedabad

Shah, who played for England between 2001 and 2009, has said that England pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad's performances in Sri Lanka's tailor-made conditions for spinners should give the tourists some confidence for the India series.

"Winning in Sri Lanka by 2-0 is an achievement boasting team's confidence but to be honest both the spinners didn't bowl their best but somehow managed to win the series in Sri Lanka. Moreover, for me, the encouraging part was to see the seamers. The way Stuart Broad bowled in conditions that were tailor-made for the spin bowling gave control to the captain. Followed by Jimmy Anderson who did the same role in the second Test match," Shah told Sports Today.

"The England spin department will be really tested against strong batting line-ups like India. Yes, Chennai's condition will favour India more than England. Also, India has an upper hand with the spin attack they have over England," added Shah.

While the former cricketer believes Indian spinners may have an upper hand, England's current fast bowler Jofra Archer believes that his team has enough options in the spin department and the Tests "will not be one-sided" if there is spin on the pitches.

"I've played lots of Indian Premier League here but nothing in terms of first-class cricket, so the challenges of bowling with a red ball will become clearer. In the IPL the batters have to come at you, whereas in Test cricket they can sit on you for a full session if they want and if the pitch is dead there is nothing you can do about it. So, let's hope we get some good wickets with a little bit of pace for the bowlers. Or even some turn, because if they spin, the matches will not be one-sided. We have good spinners in our squad and India won't out-spin us," Archer wrote for Daily Mail.

Archer, along with Ben Stokes and Rory Burns, was rested for the Sri Lanka series, in which England tasted a clean sweep 2-0 victory. Archer, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will be eager to return on the field and the India series will mark his first tour of India in national colours.