India has proven to be tough team to beat across conditions: England batter Dawid Malan

India will lock horns with England for the rescheduled fifth Test at Old Trafford starting on July 1.

England batter Dawid Malan feels the fifth rescheduled Test match between India and England is a 50-50 in terms of who will walk out as a winner. India will lock horns with England for the rescheduled fifth Test at Old Trafford starting on July 1. The rescheduled fifth Test is counted as the fifth match of India's 2021 series in England, which the visitors lead by 2-1. The fifth Test was postponed at the last minute following a COVID-19 outbreak in 2021.

"It is tough to tell who will win. India is 2-1 up already. They have proven themselves to be tough to beat across conditions. They have been fantastic over the years. England is also under new leadership, new coach and captain Ben Stokes. They have played some unbelievable cricket. It will be a different challenge to both sides," Malan told ANI. "Both teams are under new leadership. It is 50-50 at the moment (in terms of who will win the match). But if I pick one, It will be England just based on how Stokes is leading at the moment," he added.

On Virat Kohli's much-debated form with the bat, Malan still feels that the former Indian player is the number one batter in the world and will return to his old ways soon. "Just because you do not score hundreds does not mean you are not good. Players are allowed to fail. Cricket is where one fails more than he succeeds. It could be bio-bubbles, it could be playing too much cricket. He is a human, even though he has batted like a superhuman. I can see him bat like a superhuman for a lot of years. He will be reaching those heights again," he said.

On BCCI looking for a larger window for the organisation of the Indian Premier League, the English batter said that the IPL is the best platform for players who are yet to play international cricket or are trying to make it to that stage and it deserves a longer window to keep the game growing. "IPL has been fantastic for cricket. It is a stepping stone. One gets to play in front of packed crowds in a cricket-crazy nation under a lot of pressure. It prepares you to play international cricket and is as close to international cricket as possible," he added in his statement at an event. (ANI)

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