Ajinkya Rahane, Sourav Ganguly confident of Indian team doing well in England tour

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane feels that India's stupendous bowling performance in South Africa will be a big boost to team's confidence ahead of their gruelling five-Test tour of England.

"Definitely, we all do believe that we have the team that can do well in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England. It is important to start well. The preparations part will be really important as it will provide us with the momentum," Rahane said at the India Today Conclave here.

"Taking 60 wickets in South Africa was unbelievable. The way our fast bowlers and spinners bowled, we all believe that we can do well."

Rahane, who was dropped for the first two Tests in South Africa, made a significant contribution to the team's win in Johannesburg.

He said there was an opportunity for him to become a hero after the third Test in Johannesburg and he was happy to have delivered.

"When we go abroad, the teams come hard at us. There is challenge for an individual to do well overseas but we had discussed that from now on, wherever we will go, we will think and play like it's our home turf and that's what we were doing in South Africa."

“Yes, Johannesburg wicket was slightly dangerous, but for me it was an opportunity to become a hero. I did not play the first two Test matches and I was motivated, I was disciplined and really working hard on my batting, when I got to know that I was playing this (Johannesburg) Test match, and that is what I did and I am happy to contribute to the success,” the stylish Mumbaikar noted.

Echoing similar views, former India captain Sourav Ganguly also believes that the team now has potent enough bowling attack to win matches abroad.

“Absolutely they have the (bowling) attack to take 20 wickets. Indian cricket always has had the batsmen, who would put 400 runs on the board but the difference is when they put 400 runs on the board and you have bowlers to pick 20 wickets."

Ganguly said that the pitch for the third Test in Johannesburg did a bit too much.

“In South Africa, the wicket at Wanderers (Johannesburg) did a bit too much. You won't get those sort of pitches in Test cricket but even in the first two Test matches, which were played on good pitches, the bowlers bowled exceptionally well.

"You have got Bhuvneshwar Kumar, (Jasprit) Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and sitting out, there is Ishant Sharma," Ganguly said.

Ganguly recalled his days as captain when Anil Kumble was at his peak and he demanded a decent score from batsmen so that he could attack.

Anil Kumble used to say: "You give me 450 runs on the board in the first innings and I will win you Test matches. This team has the batting, already with Rahane, (Virat) Kohli and the rest, and they have the bowling too," he added.

"The key is how we quickly we get on at the start of the tour, because that is very important. You saw in South Africa, as time went by, they got better and they have got all the qualities to win overseas,” the legendary skipper and left-handed batsman explained.

Ganguly however refused to comment on the controversy involving India pacer Mohammed Shami's personal life, saying we should look at his cricket.