Batsmen need to deliver if India are to win Test series in England, says Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata, July 21 (CRICKETNMORE):  The batsmen need to deliver and amass 400-450 runs in the first innings for India to win the five-match Test series in England, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said here on Saturday.

"(It will depend) on the batsmen. You have to score 400 runs in Test cricket. If they get 400 runs in the first innings, they will win test matches," Ganguly told reporters at the Eden Gardens here.

"They are a good team. If they bat well, they will do well in England. They can win the Test series. India has got a big chance of winning," he added.

England recorded a resounding come-from-behind 2-1 ODI series win recently. After pocketing the T20 series and winning the first 50-over encounter convincingly, Virat Kohli and Co. slumped to heavy back-to-back reversals to lose their grip on the three-match rubber.

From August 1, a new-look England test side will look to improve their recent record in the longest format over five matches.

The Joe Root-led England side is ranked fifth in the world and have failed to win any of their last three series with just one match won.

The last time India toured England under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, they lost the five-game test series 3-1 after the first tie ended in a draw.

The difference in runs between the top two scorers, Root (518 runs) and Gary Ballance (503 runs), with third-placed India's Murali Vijay (402 runs) was more than 100 runs underlining the failure of the visiting batters to get runs.

Talking about Dhoni, who now only plays white-ball cricket, Ganguly did not want to delve too much into the former captain's lean patch with the bat and calls for the 37-year old to call it a day.

"Whatever he does, it's his decision (on retirement). I am sure he will get back to scoring runs."

On Test wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha's injury conundrum, Ganguly said he had no clue about the series of developments which led to the BCCI issuing a timeline of events.

"I don't know what happened. I hope he recovers in time," he said.

Saha will undergo surgery on his right shoulder in Manchester at the end of this month or starting of August.

It is unlikely that the Bengal stumper will be able to even lift a bat for two months after going under the knife.