With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from the Indian Test team, the cricketing fraternity is not putting much leverage on the team. Notably, the Indian team is up for a five-match Test series starting tomorrow, and former English spinner Graeme Swann tagged the series as a warm-up one for the Ashes.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Smith backed the young troop of English bowlers, saying that they can relinquish the pitch conditions. However, he doesn't feel that India can't win at all. Probably 1 or 2 might go in the guests' way but the series will be England's. Swann in the interview said,

"It’s kind of a perfect warm-up for the Ashes to be honest. India is a huge series. The last 2-3 times we have gone to India, we have been thoroughly outplayed. So in our own backyard, our home turf, we need to beat India. We need to play well. They are not going to have Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, two absolute superstars of the bat."

He added,

“So, without that, yes, they have got great players coming in instead, but we have bowlers who can exploit our conditions well, who can bowl really well. I think England must look to win this series and I think they should look to win it convincingly as well. I will take 4-1, 3-2. I will push, but I really hope we do well and get the confidence moving into the Ashes.”

Notably, Swann has the second-highest number of wickets as a spinner against India. From 2008, to 2012, he played 10 Test matches against the country and took 41 wickets, with his best figure as 6/106.

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India’s most recent Test appearance at Headingley came in 2021, a match they would prefer to forget. After collapsing for just 78 runs in their first innings, the visitors found themselves on the back foot. England responded strongly, piling up 432 runs, bolstered by a commanding century from Joe Root.

In their second outing with the bat, India showed more resistance. Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored with 91, while both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli contributed with gritty half-centuries. Despite the fightback, India were dismissed for 278, falling short and succumbing to a heavy defeat — an innings and 76 runs.

Notably, , is absent from England’s current Test squad for the upcoming clash.