England favourites against formidable India, feels Steyn
Mumbai, July 26: South African paceman Dale Steyn feels that the Virat Kohli-led Indian team is "capable of anything" but England bowlers' experience will be the difference between the two sides when the five-match Test rubber kicks-off on August 1 in Birmingham.
The 35-year-old pacer also opined that the upcoming high-octane series will be full of runs due to present dry conditions in England.
Speaking to media persons at a promotional event here, Steyn said: "I don't like any predictions. The advantage probably lies with England, obviously being at home and with such a long tour. It tends to become very long."
"They (India) have been there for ODIs and are a very good touring team now. (But) if I put my money, I will probably put it on England," he added.
Praising the Indian skipper, the pacer said: "Led by Virat this Indian team is capable of anything. I know Virat pretty well; he's quite a determined character. Five Test matches are going to be good for one team and if one team gets on a roll the other team will be blown away.
"(But) it's going to be a hard-fought Test series. The England bowlers are a little bit more skilled and that's where the difference will be, that will be the tipping point," the 35-year-old explained.
Steyn however, did not rule out India's chances in the series and said that the English bowlers might struggle against the Indian batsmen if the wicket remains dry.
"If the ball swings they (England seamers) are going to play a massive role but if it doesn't swing then how are they going to get someone like Kohli or Shikhar (Dhawan), who opens the batting, and K L Rahul (out)?," Steyn asked.
"They played well in South Africa, which I consider is the hardest place to play cricket. They came to South Africa and just got better. It could be true in England too." he added.
Commenting on the English bowlers, Steyn said: "It's going to be a high-scoring series but England's bowlers are probably just a little bit better than the Indians."
"I think it's (weather in England) massively dry. It's going to be a lot of runs. But they are conditions that England are used to. Home series generally goes away with home sides," he opined.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Plea in Madras HC calls for SIT/ED/CBI probe into Gautam Adani's indictment in US bribery case
Chennai: A plea has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or directions to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption charges against Indian businessman Gautam Adani. The plea follows Adani’s indictment by the United States Department of Justice in the Eastern District of New York on bribery charges.
Filed by Advocate and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi President ML Ravi, the plea alleges that Adani, along with other businessmen and power distribution companies in India, was involved in a scheme to bribe Indian government officials. The bribes were reportedly aimed at securing lucrative solar energy contracts with Indian entities. According to the US Department of Justice, Adani’s group paid USD 265 million in bribes, primarily to officials in Andhra Pradesh, to secure contracts with state electricity distribution companies between 2001 and 2023.
Ravi criticised the Indian authorities for their silence on the matter, despite the exposure of the corruption by foreign agencies. He argued that the lack of action by Indian investigation agencies undermines public trust and hinders national development. He called for a thorough investigation to uncover the full extent of the allegations, asserting that public officials had abused their power for personal gain, in violation of their duties.
