During the 2012 Test series in India, England faced the formidable challenge of taking on Virat Kohli, who was already proving himself as a force to be reckoned with. England’s spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, played pivotal roles in the team’s success during that series, where they secured a historic 2-1 victory. In the absence of experienced spinners this time around, England places its hopes on the relatively inexperienced duo of Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley. The significance of quality spinners becomes apparent as England aims to replicate its success from 2012. Kohli, in particular, was highlighted as a player not to be trifled with, with Swann revealing that the team had been instructed to avoid engaging in verbal spats with the Indian captain. Heading into the final Test of the 2012 series with a 2-1 lead, England introduced a young Joe Root, who made an immediate impact with a solid 73 in the first innings. However, Kohli and MS Dhoni’s contributions for India kept the hosts in the game. Swann emphasized Kohli’s competitive spirit, recounting an incident where fast bowler Steven Finn’s attempt at sledging backfired, leading to Kohli’s fierce retaliation. “We had been told beforehand to not say anything to this bloke [Virat Kohli],” Swann revealed, highlighting the strategic decision to avoid provoking Kohli.
Virat roared up like a tiger, and Finn just doubled down and got smashed everywhere,” Swann added, illustrating the consequences of disregarding the pre-series advice. While Swann emerged as the leading wicket-taker for England in that series, he credited fellow spinner Monty Panesar as the hero behind the victory. Reflecting on their partnership, Swann shared insights into the dynamics between them, praising Panesar’s unique qualities on the pitch.