England garnered valuable experience in India: Silverwood
Pune, Mar 30 (PTI): England may have suffered series defeats across all formats but head coach Chris Silverwood feels his team has learnt valuable lessons from the tour of India that will come in handy when it returns here for the T20 World Cup later this year.
India completed triumphs in all three formats against England, with a seven-run win in the series-deciding third ODI on Sunday. Silverwood, in an interaction with the British media on Monday before the side headed home, reflected on the long tour with pride and said the English will be stronger when they come back here for the T20 World in the last quarter of the year. “It was a good, competitive game and a good, competitive series throughout. I’m very proud of them, I’m proud of each and every player who has been out here,” Silverwood said in the series-ending presser. “I’m proud of the effort and the attitude that’s been shown towards the game. I think we’ve learned a lot and from that point of view I couldn’t ask any more of them,” he added. “We’ve got valuable experience for the T20 World Cup coming up, and if we look back at the Test series…the lessons they’ve learned, when they come back again they’ll know what to do and have a better game plan.”
India are slated to travel to England for a five-match Test series in August and September and Silverwood feels his players will be keen to settle scores at that time. “These experiences will stand them in good stead moving forward. When they play against India in England, that will give them a bit of spice to fight back with. I think they will. “There’s a little time between now and then, but we’re looking forward immensely to the Test series in England. We always know it’s very competitive, with two very good teams going at each other,” he added.
England, who were coming off a Test series win against Sri Lanka, began their tour of India in remarkable fashion, inflicting a 227-run defeat on the hosts in the first Test.