England’s new-ball seamer, Chris Woakes, has expressed the formidable challenge his team faces in beating India on their home turf during the 2023 World Cup. Woakes believes that sub-continent teams, including India, have a distinct advantage in familiar conditions.
Despite being the defending champions with a robust lineup, England acknowledges the near invincibility of India in their home conditions. India has started their campaign on a strong note, clinching victories in their initial matches, notably defeating Australia by six wickets in Chennai.
Woakes,34, recognizes the challenging nature of playing in India, where conditions heavily favor sub-continent teams. In an interview with Sky Sports, the right-arm seamer emphasized the difficulty of dethroning teams comfortable in their home conditions.
“Winning in India is an incredibly difficult challenge.” I believe the sub-continental teams will be more comfortable with the conditions. That makes it incredibly difficult for us to dethrone them. However, we have the team and talent to compete. People have been looking at us for a long time, and we’ve had a bit of a target on our back all around the world,” he said.
Following a setback with a loss to New Zealand, England made a strong comeback with a convincing 137-run victory over Bangladesh. As they gear up to face hosts India in Lucknow on October 29th, Woakes and his team are determined to overcome the challenges and make their mark in the 2023 World Cup.