England to take Manchester United chef to India for five-match Test series

England will head across to India for a five-match Test series in India this month. There is this common consensus that ‘Bazball’ will face its biggest challenge in India where the pitches are expected to assist spinners.

As part of their off-field preparations for the tour, it has been reported that the visitors will bring along Manchester United chef Omar Meziane. Meziane previously traveled with the team to Pakistan in December 2022, where they saw Ben Stokes’ side dominate the hosts.

The decision to bring their own chef is being seen as a preventive measure since England are quite worried that their players might fall ill during the seven-week tour. The chef will join the squad in Hyderabad before the first Test on January 25, focusing on maintaining players’ nutrition. The move, as reported by The Telegraph, is not because the side does not trust the hotels, but rather ensuring that players, especially those averse to spicy food, consume nutritious meals instead of relying on energy bars and pizzas.

“England insist it has nothing to do with not trusting hotels to provide clean facilities and is instead about ensuring players, especially those who refuse to eat spicy food, are eating nutritious meals rather than filling up on energy bars and pizzas,” reported the Telegraph.

The Test series will kick off in Hyderabad, followed by matches in Vishakhapatnam, Rajkot, and Ranchi, with the final Test taking place in Dharamsala. There are other reports that suggest the England team might arrive in India three days before the first Test, a decision that has raised eyebrows among former England players.

England’s last Test series victory in India dates back to 2012, and since then, they have faced defeats. In the 2021 tour, despite a positive start with a win in the first Test in Chennai, they lost the next three.

Led by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, the England side aims at better performances on this tour.

India vs England: Test schedule

1st Test in Hyderabad on January 25

2nd Test in Visakhapatnam on February 2

3rd Test in Rajkot on February 15

4th Test in Ranchi on February 23

5th Test in Dharamsala on March 7