Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been named as batting consultant for England’s Lions ‘A’ tour of India starting from January 12. Apart from Karthik, veteran England spinner Graeme Swann has been named as the mentor of the team whereas England batsman Ian Bell will be the team’s other batting consultant. England Men’s Elite pace bowling coach Neil Killeen has been named as the head coach of the side for the tour against India A.
Dinesh Karthik will be there with the England Lions from January 10 to January 18. India A are set to go head-to-head with England Lions in a tour match and a three-match unofficial Test series. The assignment is set to be played from January 12 to February 4. All the matches will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dinesh Karthik to work with England Lions for upcoming ‘A’ tour of India
England Men’s Performance Director, Mo Bobat said in a statement, “It’s great to have such a strong coaching group supporting our players for what should be an exciting challenge versus India A. The group has a deep and diverse set of experiences and expertise.
“Neil Killeen did an excellent job leading the Lions in Sri Lanka last year and will assume head coach responsibilities again.
“Similarly, Ian Bell and Graeme Swann have spent time around our Lions environments over the past year and will be well-placed to continue supporting the players, many of whom they already know well. They both bring fantastic experiences to their respective coaching and mentoring roles.
“Carl Hopkinson and Richard Dawson have extensive pathway experience and bring with them an England senior coaching perspective, and recent experience of Indian conditions.
“And it’s fantastic to have Dinesh Karthik with us for a part of our prep period and leading into the first Test. I’m sure the lads will love spending time with him and benefiting from his experience of what it takes to be successful at Test level in India.”
England Lions coaching team:
Neil Killeen – Head Coach
Richard Dawson – Assistant Coach (10th – 19th January)
Carl Hopkinson – Assistant Coach
Ian Bell – Batting Consultant (From 18 January)
Dinesh Karthik – Batting Consultant (10th – 18th January)
Graeme Swann – Mentor
The tour is also very important for the England men’s cricket team. They are all set to tour India for a five-match Test series starting on January 25. The first Test match will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
England will be led by all-rounder Ben Stokes and this will be the first time when Brendon McCullum will tour India as the head coach of any team.
England have performed impressively well since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have taken the responsibility of the Test side. England are yet to lose a Test series under Stokes and McCullum and have been playing the format very aggressively.
England’s ‘bazball’ approach has always garnered headlines ahead of the start of their bilateral Test series. ‘Baz’ is the nickname of Brendon McCullum, who used to destroy the opposition with his aggressive and attacking batting tactics while playing for New Zealand.
However, the major question that arises is will ‘bazball’ work in India or not. England failed against the Indian spin attack when they last toured India in 2021. England lost the series 3-1 despite winning the first Test of the series in Chennai. However, one point has to be noted England are the only side who have beaten India on their home soil in the last 12 years.
