England are set to tour India for a five-match Test series which begins in Hyderabad on January 25. The squad will reportedly be accompanied by a chef who will prepare food for the players according to their own liking.
The Englishmen, led by Ben Stokes, last toured India in early 2021 for a 52-day tour comprising of four Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is.
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This time, though, India and England will contest in just five Tests. It will be a new chapter in the riveting rivalry between these two sides, with England looking to exact revenge after losing the 2021 series in India 3-1 and then drawing the five-Test series in England 2-2.
However, much of the talk lately has been about England bringing their own chef after the English players complained of stomach illness on their previous tour to India, leading a lot of flak from the Indian fans on social media, as well as a few sarcastic statements from Indian cricketing legends.
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What happened to the England players on 2021 tour of India?
Following the fourth and the final Test in 2021, which was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Stokes revealed that the players suffered drastic weight loss and stomach illness ahead of the Ahmedabad Test, indirectly pointing fingers at the food provided to them in India.
Players are totally committed to England and I think that was emphasised last week when a few of us went down with illness that made operating in 41 degree heat particularly taxing.
I lost 5kg in a week, Dom Sibley 4kg and Jimmy Anderson 3kg among others. Jack Leach was ducking off the field in between bowling spells and spending more time than is ideal in the toilet.
This is in no way an excuse, because everyone was ready to play, and India and Rishabh Pant especially produced a terrific performance, but I take off my hat to the effort that was put in by players who gave everything they had to try and win for England.
This time around, England are taking no risks and have recruited famous Manchester United chef Omar Meziane to travel with the team and take care of the players' nutritional requirements.
Meziane has travelled with the English team in the past, accompanying them on the Pakistan tour in December 2022.
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Virender Sehwag takes a sarcastic dig at England, social media turns chaotic
Fans and former players have not been kind to the choice to bring a chef, with many criticizing the move on social media.
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag took to X (formerly Twitter) to take a hilariously sarcastic dig at the England players after the official X account of England's Barmy Army (a passionate England cricket fan group that arranges tickets for England games and follows the team home and away) posted a tweet stating that "England are taking their own chef to India later this month to try and avoid players falling ill during the tour."
England are taking their own chef to India later this month to try and avoid players falling ill during the tour 🇮🇳
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) January 5, 2024
H/t @NHoultCricket pic.twitter.com/eZj80tdVoF
Sehwag quoted Barmy Army's tweet and wrote, "Yeh zaroorat Cook ke jaane ke baad padhi. IPL mein nahi padegi."
Yeh zaroorat Cook ke jaane ke baad padhi 😂
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 6, 2024
IPL mein nahi padegi. https://t.co/6DMWrN2not
One cricket fan replied in the comments by saying, "Doesn't matter, we have good Chefs like @ashwinravi99 and @imjadeja to cook England in India."
Doesn't matter, we have good Chefs like @ashwinravi99 and @imjadeja to cook England in India.
— Arghadeep Ghosh (@ArghadeepGhosh4) January 5, 2024
Another replied, "“Maybe England can send in their reserve players too instead of the real strength ones to save them from getting embarassed since the result of white wash is not going to change much no matter whom they send to play and whom they send to cook here in india.”
Maybe England can send in their reserve players too instead of the real strength ones to save them from getting embarassed since the result of white wash is not going to change much no matter whom they send to play and whom they send to cook here in india
— Hitesh Kothari (@Hiteshpk1986) January 6, 2024
Here are some of the best reactions:
Maybe England can send in their reserve players too instead of the real strength ones to save them from getting embarassed since the result of white wash is not going to change much no matter whom they send to play and whom they send to cook here in india
— Hitesh Kothari (@Hiteshpk1986) January 6, 2024
Good idea. 👍
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 6, 2024
I’m sure that majority of English players must be bringing in their chefs for the IPL too….year after year. AS IF 🤫 https://t.co/A991b7LG2q
England should take their own pitches too cuz they invariably cry over pitches after losing..
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) January 7, 2024
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