Good problem to have so many quality pacers: Paul Collingwood

CHENNAI: England never felt the absence of pacers Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes with the way James Anderson and Ollie Robinson led the England attack in the five-Test series against India. The duo shared 29 wickets between them while Anderson delivered 116.3 overs, just two balls less than Robinson's 116.5 overs.
However, England coach Chris Silverwood had hinted in an earlier press conference that either one of the two pacers might be rested for the fourth Test in order to manage their workload.Accordingly, England have also added seamers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood to their squad. While bowling allrounder Woakes is expected to replace an out-of-form Sam Curran, Wood is an option to replace either Anderson or Robinson.
While giving rest to either of the in-form pacers might alter the balance of the side, former England captain Paul Collingwood feels England should consider it as a problem of plenty. "It's a good sign that Wood and Woakes have recovered from shoulder and heel injuries. Wood has got good pace and could prove crucial in conditions when the ball doesn't swing. Woakes is a very gritty customer with the ball and can contribute with the bat too. So it's a good problem to have so many quality pacers in the side. With both Anderson and Robinson performing well, their replacements should be extra motivated to prove themselves and not let the side down," Colingwood said at a virtual media interaction with select journalists.
The England assistant coach also sounded a warning to England that India will be looking to make a comeback in the series after their humbling inning defeat at Leeds. The series is tied at 1-1.
"It's easy to criticise the Indian batsmen but there was a lot of movement on the pitch on the first day. It was the kind of conditions with a bit of moisture in the pitch and it was tricky for the batsman. Our bowlers did tremendously well to exploit those conditions. I feel India struggled against the accuracy and relentless pressure from our bowlers," the 45-year-old said.
"But I am sure England are preparing themselves for an Indian comeback. We know that they are a high-quality team and we have always prepared ourselves that they are going to be 100 percent ready for the next battle in new set conditions at the Oval," he added.
Collingwood also equated India's on-field aggression to the feisty Australian team. "Both sides, they don't want to give an inch. When you have two countries where cricket means a lot to them, a set of players for whom winning means a lot, then you do have heated exchanges. But I feel the Australians' behaviour and the way they play their game of cricket has changed over the years. So to say India are like the Australians is probably a little bit harsh," he asserted.