Thaindian News

London, Aug 5 (IANS) England spinner Graeme Swann feels a 4-0 whitewash is possible in the Test series against World No.1 India.

“I’d like to think that it’s possible to win 4-0. A lot of things have to go in our favour, but if they do, it’ll be a nice thing to aim for. We’re the only team who can win it 4-0,” Swann was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

“The way we’ve played in the first two games, they’ve not been perfect performances and we’ve still won them very well. If we can iron out those areas and do everything else right, we’re going to be a very difficult team to beat,” he said.

Asked about his unimpressive form in the series, Swann said: “It’s easy to make the excuse that I was hit on the hand. But I just had one of those days. I got out of bed the wrong side that morning. Rahul Dravid has played me very well this series. But I don’t think they needed to play me particularly well at Trent Bridge, I bowled so badly.”

With turning tracks expected at Edgbaston and the Oval, Swann declared himself fully fit after an X-ray on his left hand.

“I’m looking forward to Edgbaston, because it did turn a little bit last year,” Swann said. “Hopefully it will spin, because then you turn up to the ground in the morning knowing you’re going to play a more active role. Turning up knowing you are a bit-part player does not always fit well with someone who likes to be the centre of attention.”

Recalling farcical run out of Ian Bell, who was later recalled by the Indian team, Swann said: “It was a very strange atmosphere. Belly had taken off his pads. He thought he was out. Then rumours came upstairs that they were talking about whether to ask him back in. So people were saying ‘put your pads on’, and someone else was saying ‘no, don’t bother’. It was bizarre, really.”

“But what happened in the end was the right thing. India could have upheld the appeal, but it would have put a very bitter taste on the series. We don’t want it descending into the sort of scenes we had at the end of last year. We really didn’t like the Pakistan team by the end of the series, and they didn’t like us. But so far this year, the atmosphere between the two teams has been exceptional,” he said.