Sam Billings feels Ashwin and Jadeja are biggest threat for England

In anticipation of the opening Test between India and England scheduled to begin Thursday in Hyderabad, England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings expressed on Wednesday that facing Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will pose the most significant challenge for the visiting team.



Talking to ANI during the ILT20 event in Dubai, Billings conveyed his belief that English batsman Ben Duckett is well-equipped to perform admirably on the tour, particularly due to his proficiency in handling spin.



The 32-year-old cricketer also expressed his admiration for the bowling prowess of Ashwin and Jadeja, highlighting his enjoyment in watching them bowl.

"For England, the best player will be Ben Duckett because he is a very good player of spin, reverse sweep and sweep shot; and I think he will have a very good tour. The biggest challenge for England will be Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, I love watching them bowl," Billings said.

He added, "India is a fantastic place to play cricket and it is unique in its challenges with spin bowling, so it will challenging, but I think for everyone in world cricket, it will be a very exciting series to see how England come out from this," he added.

When inquired about Bazball, he expressed optimism. Additionally, he stated that the team led by Ben Stokes is poised to approach the first Test match with a positive mindset.

"I think it will be a big challenge. My opinion is they are going with a positive approach because last time the opposite approach did not work at all. I hope this approach will be good and work out. There will be bad times but also there will be a lot of good times to put India under pressure," he added.

The Test series consisting of five matches between India and England kicks off on January 25 in Hyderabad, followed by the next four matches scheduled to take place in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.