Fletcher’s presence will give India an advantage: Bell

Bell insisted that current England side is much different from the one that Fletcher coached.

England’s middle-order batsman Ian Bell feels Duncan Fletcher’s presence as the coach will be a massive advantage for Team India in the upcoming Test series against England as the Zimbabwean has a lot of knowledge about the English team.

Bell,however,insisted that the current England side is much different from the one that Fletcher coached eight year back.

It’s great for India,Duncan Fletcher knows English cricket very well and was very successful over here. He knows Straussy well,he knows myself,he knows Kevin Pietersen. I’m sure we’ve changed as characters and matured since he’s been away,but he’ll have a good insight and there’s no doubt that’s a massive plus for India,” said Bell.

Fletcher was the coach of England from 1999 to 2007. During his tenure he guided them to a historic Ashes victory in 2005.

Bell said although India will have an advantage,these days every team has information about the opposition in any case.

But in world cricket now information,strengths and weakness,everyone knows about them. We have people working non-stop at Loughborough on stats,percentages and stuff like that. There’s no hiding place anymore,so while it’s an advantage for India to have him,everyone has information about opposition, said the right-hander.

India will play four-match Test series against England,starting at the Lord’s from Thursday. Heaping praise on Fletcher as a coach,Bell,said,”He’s quite a quiet man and goes about his business in his own way. He’ll know everything about what England have.

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In 2005 he was a massive part of the plans we had for the Australians — like going round the wicket to Adam Gilchrist — and he’s got an unbelievable cricket brain. That’s his massive strength. We know he’s an incredible coach,he said.

Bell had made his Test debut in 2004 and spent his formative years as an international cricketer under Fletcher but he has grown since then and is averaging over 300 in Tests this year.

I just want to pick up the form I’ve had for the last couple of years. I really do feel I’m a fully rounded Test cricketer and (I’m excited about) what the next five years hold. I’m desperate to keep improving and have the hunger to get better. We’ve got some massive goals we want to achieve over the next year as a team, he said.

Stating that one of the biggest goals of his team is to overtake India as the No. 1 Test side in the world,the 29-year-old said,”We respect them,but you can’t over-respect them. You have to have the confidence that you can beat them.

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India are No. 1 in the world and you don’t just do that by having six great batsmen,you do that by taking 20 wickets. They’ve got world-class bowlers,but that can also bring the best out of our team.

In order to overtake India as the No. 1 Test team in the world,England will have to win the series by a margin of two Tests.