Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has issued a significant warning to the Indian Test team in anticipation of their tour to England scheduled for late June. During this tour, India will compete in five Test matches against the team led by Ben Stokes, marking the commencement of the 2025/27 World Test Championship cycle. Ganguly emphasized the necessity for players such as Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill to elevate their performance during this crucial series, as India seeks to achieve its first Test series victory in England since 2007.

In his remarks at Trailblazers 3.0, organized by RevSport, Ganguly highlighted a concerning statistic: only Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal have batting averages exceeding 40 in away matches. His comments were particularly directed at Pant, who had a disappointing performance during the recent tour of Australia. The 52-year-old stressed that for India to thrive in Test cricket once more, at least four of their top six batsmen must maintain averages above 50.

"[Rishabh] Pant must confront the challenges posed by the swinging ball," he stated. "One cannot rely solely on aggressive play and expect to accumulate runs in Test cricket. It requires a strong mentality, determination, and resilience. The talent is present—Virat Kohli is among the best in the game, and I do not foresee him struggling in five Test matches in England. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill must rise to the occasion. My primary concern is that, apart from Virat and Yashasvi, few players average over 40 in away matches. To be a successful Test team, three or four of your top six batsmen need to average close to 50 in Test cricket," he concluded.

Big scores key to win in England, says Ganguly

The former Indian opener underscored the importance of the Indian team achieving substantial scores to improve their performance in England. Ganguly illustrated his point by referencing India's past victories in Pakistan, Australia, and England. He highlighted that India secured their sole victory in Australia during the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth by amassing over 400 runs in the second innings, largely due to Jaiswal's impressive innings of 161.

"It is indeed feasible to enhance our red-ball performance in England. Success hinges on our batting capabilities. Historically, when India has excelled in away matches, it has been due to scoring between 400 and 500 runs. Reflecting on our era, we achieved a draw in Australia against one of the greatest cricket teams, and we triumphed in Pakistan—all thanks to scoring 600 runs," he stated.

"In the three Tests in Pakistan (2004)—we scored 600 in Multan, 400 in Lahore, and 700 in Rawalpindi. In Australia, we posted 500 in Brisbane, 500 in Adelaide, and 700 in Sydney. To win Test matches, it is essential to put runs on the board. Victories are not secured with scores of 200, 250, or 180. The reason for the win in Perth was the achievement of 400 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal, whom I consider the finest Test batsman for India at present, played a pivotal role."

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