Although Virat Kohli and R. Ashwin have been pivotal to India’s rise to the top of the Test rankings, England coach Trevor Bayliss on Saturday made it clear that the Alastair Cook-led side won’t be solely focusing on the two match-winners.
“They are both very good players. But if we concentrate on just one or two players, it would be a wrong way to go about it. They (India) have got more than two very good players,” said Bayliss told reporters at Cricket Club of India.
“The best part of our approach in the last of couple of years is we worry about what we are doing,” added Bayliss.
While Bayliss refused to agree that that Kohli was the only important player from the India camp in the five-match Test series starting in Rajkot on Wednesday, he admitted that having James Anderson back in the scheme of things was a boost for the side.
The 34-year-old pacer missed the two-match Test series against Bangladesh due to a stress facture in the shoulder.
Not only will Anderson’s experience be significant as other bowlers can feed off his presence, his record against Kohli can play a big part in how England fare in the series.
Although the India Test skipper has not put a foot wrong in recent times, he has struggled against England in the longer format of the game.
In nine Tests, Kohli has 322 runs at an average of 20.12.
“When you get anyone with his experience and number of international wickets coming along, it is good for the squad. Not merely for his on-field performance, but his experience off the ground as well, talking to the young players,” said Bayliss when asked about Anderson’s availability.
“While the lack of match practice is always a risk, if there’s one player that’s able to do that it’s Jimmy Anderson.
“He’s been around for a while and when you’ve played as much as he has it doesn’t take much to get back into the swing of things.”
