Former England spinner Monty Panesar recently made a stunning claim that astonished several cricket fans around the world. Panesar reckons that Ben Stokes' Three Lions have a genuine chance of winning the ongoing Test series against India by a margin of 5-0, which would also mean England whitewashing Rohit Sharma's brigade at the latter's home turf. Panesar's comments came in the backdrop of England's monumental win against India in the first Test in Hyderabad.
Panesar lauded Ollie Pope, who played a match-defining knock of 196 runs in Hyderabad and debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who bagged seven wickets in the second innings. The ex-England spinner believes that if Pope and Hartley continue to perform similarly then the Three Lions are in good stead to clean sweep India.
"If Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley continue to play like this it will be a whitewash, it will be 5-0 for England. It can happen if Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley play like this," Panesar told ANI.
"It is a very big victory, no one even imagined this was even possible. Everyone thought that England would lose after a 190 deficit but Ollie Pope had a brilliant inning one of the best innings we have seen in a long time and Rohit Sharma was clueless," he added.
Panesar, who was part of the triumphant England team during the 2012-13 tour of India, knows a thing or two about what it's like to register victories on Indian soil. The former spinner lauded England's win in Hyderabad as the country's one of the most famous overseas victories and even compared it to a World Cup triumph.
"It was one of the most famous victories England have ever produced overseas. This is big news in England. It feels like we have won the World Cup," said Panesar.
The second Test match between India and England is scheduled to begin on February 2 in Visakhapatnam.
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