IND vs ENG 2024: Having Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm will benefit England, says Steven Finn

Former England fast bowler Steven Finn believes having Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm will benefit the English team in the upcoming five-match Test series against India. England have savored great success under the tutelage of Brendon McCullum and they will look to continue the good show against Rohit Sharma-led team.

The Ben Stokes-led team has played an aggressive brand of cricket and have taken the bull by its horns. However, Test matches against India in India have always been a difficult nut to crack and England will have their work cut out in difficult conditions.

England batters have scored their runs at a rapid pace and it will be interesting to note their approach against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel.

Finn reckons England players’ experience of playing in the Indian Premier League will benefit them.

“I think the IPL superstardom of some of the players will count to England’s benefit,” says Finn. “Kevin Pietersen aside, that 2012 team, people weren’t really superstars in India, whereas you have quite a few guys this time going over who have played in the IPL and are superstars in that. I think that will count,” Finn said on ESPN Cricinfo.

Finn was part of England’s Test series win against India in 2012 and he feels it will be crucial for the visitors to entertain the Indian audience with their blistering game.

“The three most memorable tours I went on, India 2012, Australia 2010-11 and South Africa 2016, all three of them, one of the motivations for us was to try and get the opposition public on side and turn them against their own team. That’s a huge benefit to you, and having Stokes and McCullum at the helm gives England an opportunity to do that,” Finn said.

India and England will take on each other in the first Test match from 25th January onwards at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.