Shane Warne backs England to win against South Africa - Cricket News Update
Australian legend, Shane Warne, thinks that England will have far more reasons to believe in a series victory against the touring South Africans. The first Test action will commence on Thursday, when the two teams will meet at the Oval.
In his column for the telegraph, the spin wizard backed his claim owing to the recent run of the English side which has seen them enjoy plenty of success this summer, further predicting a 1-0 or a 2-0 victory for the home side.
After routing West Indies in Tests and the One-dayers, the Poms devastated a strong Australian side with a 4-0 drubbing in the recently concluded NatWest series.
The former great has attributed their success to a team effort, and added that it would be an uphill task for any opposition to upset them in their own backyard.
“There are no weak links in the side. Everyone is in good touch. England in their own conditions will be very tough to beat,” Warne said.
Speaking of the Proteas, the Aussie said that despite having a great side the visitors will have to come up with their best cricket if they want to beat the Poms.
“South Africa have been doing OK recently. South Africa will have to play their best cricket at all times to beat England in their backyard,” the Australian great further added.
While the local side had been playing all year long with series against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Australia, the tourists are short on match practice having played only four Tests this year - both of their warm-up matches against Somerset and Kent were also rain-affected.
Warne, who is the game’s second most successful bowler with 708 Test wickets, thinks that the Proteas’ strength lies in their strong middle-order, and the troika of Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, all of whom he reckons are quite capable of putting up big scores to unsettle the English bowlers.
“England have to try to strike early to expose that middle order to the ball when it is still swinging and seaming around,” the former leg-spinner said.
“All three Tests are going to be close between the two best Test teams in the world. The only shame is this is not a five-Test series,” Warne said.
Tags: