England all-rounder Moeen Ali has put his weight behind the Three Lions ahead of the all-important Edgbaston Test.
Moeen believes Ben Stokes & Co. are favourites to win the rescheduled fifth Test. Stating how India would have won the series if it had finished last year, Moeen said, “If you’d asked me 4-5 weeks ago, I would’ve said India will win. But now I feel England will win. India are a little bit undercooked.”
England have been in the sensational form under their new coach and captain, highlighted by their recent 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand.
Moeen Ali hailed England’s newfound positivity, “They are very confident compared to last year. Their mindset has changed and they’re playing positive cricket.”
The England all-rounder also believes that India will dearly miss captain Rohit Sharma if he fails to recover from Covid in time for the game in Birmingham. With KL Rahul also unavailable due to injury, India might find themselves playing a completely different opening pair from last year.
Moeen, who bid adieu to Test cricket in September last year, has decided to come out of retirement after seeing England’s changed approach in the longest format. Moeen though is not part of the Test squad against India.
The fifth and final Test between India and England starts on July 1.
Also read: Moeen Ali to come out of retirement for England's tour of Pakistan