India team need all-rounder like Ben strokes

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said that for India to be a more successful Test side in overseas conditions, they need an all-rounder like England’s Ben Stokes or Australia’s Cameron Green, who can bat well at six or seven number and also give India 10-15 overs of genuine wicket-taking seam and swing for a better team balance. While India reached the recent final of the ICC World Test Championship on the back of some great success on home soil, their form away from the sub-continent remains an ongoing concern for Hussain. India recently defeated the West Indies 1-0 in the Caribbean and played some excellent cricket in Bangladesh at the end of last year to inch towards an appearance in the World Test Championship Final, but results away from home have been mixed for Rohit Sharma’s side outside those two series. Hussain discussed the balance of India’s Test side with host Sanjana Ganesan in the recent episode of The ICC Review. “They are brilliant at home and the balance of their side at home is just wonderful. They have got senior players like Rohit and obviously Virat Kohli and they are just world-class players and they have got youngsters coming in, like Shubman (Gill), who is going to be a superstar,” said Hussain. “If Jasprit Bumrah can come back as well, one of the great multi-format bowlers there is at the moment, if not the best, when fit.