New Delhi: India will embark on a redemption tour to England just after the ongoing IPL and Cheteshwar Pujara, who is expected to be the team's batting mainstay, feels it will be a tall ask for the visitors' to switch to Test cricket mode from Twenty20 format.
“It won't be easy at all,” Pujara, who is playing for Kings XI Punjab in this year's IPL, told PTI from Cuttack today.
“But the good thing is that we have two practice games before the five Tests. We will try to make the most of it. We will obviously have some plans to tackle the conditions,” he said of the tour which is starting with a warm-up against Leicestershire on June 26.
Besides five Tests, India will play five ODIs and a lone T20 International during its England tour.
In their last tour to England in 2011, India drew a blank as they returned winless from the two-month long trip.
India were humiliated 0-4 by the hosts in the Test series followed by a 0-3 drubbing in the five-match ODI rubber. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side also lost the lone T20 match.
Considering their showing in 2011, the upcoming tour to England holds great significance for the Indian team.
And Pujara said adjusting to the unfamiliar pitches there will be the biggest challenge for the visitors.
“The wickets there are something we can't have in India and that makes the job really challenging. It is the same for them when they come here and play on spin-friendly wickets,” Pujara said.
“The thing which will give me confidence there is the experience of playing in New Zealand and South Africa where I managed to do alright,” said the 26-year-old Saurashtra batsman, who has a staggering average of 58.92 in 19 Tests.
