"India are a tough side, Virat Kohli has instilled that" - Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain has praised the Indian cricket team’s strength at home as he previewed the upcoming India-England series. The former England captain lauded India for beating Australia under testing circumstances, admitting that the side never gets bullied.

India and England take on each other in a four-match Test series, starting from February 5. That will be followed by five T20Is, and the two-month long tour will come to an end with three ODIs in March.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain warned England about the task at hand as they begin preparations for the India tour.

"Any side that can go to Australia, go 1-0 down after being bowled out for 36, lose Kohli because he's going home on paternity leave, lose your bowling attack and still come back and win after some of the stuff that went on off the field in Australia, they won't be bullied. They (India) are a tough side. I think Kohli has instilled that. Make no mistake, at home, they are a formidable outfit," Nasser Hussain said.

Nasser Hussain is not the first cricketer to hail India’s mental toughness in recent weeks. The team showed great courage to beat Australia for a second consecutive time at home in Tests, as they retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Despite the absence of Virat Kohli, injury to key players, quarantine controversies and instances of racism off the field, a young and inexperienced Indian side surprised many with their incredible performances in Australia.

Nasser Hussain has his say on England’s rotation policy

One of the main topics of discussion ahead of the India-England series has been the squad picked by the visitors for the first two Tests. Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran have been left out of the side, as the management has stuck to its rotation policy.

The decision has attracted criticism from several quarters, with former cricketers claiming England should have sent their best squad to India. Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan have been particularly critical, admitting that they couldn’t understand the squad selection.

Although Nasser Hussain echoed similar sentiments earlier, the 52-year-old was less critical of the rotation policy this time out.

Nasser Hussain praised England for sticking by the policy, but admitted that the visitors should have come to India with their best Test players.

“I was brought up in India and I've always seen India vs England as one of the great series - all I would have asked is turn up to Chennai with your best 13 to 15 players. I think England fans have earned the right for their best team to be there that first day. If it means (Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson playing together because it's a bit green, worry about the Ashes down the line,” Hussain added.