England’s new-ball pacer Chris Woakes has insisted that India will be a very hard team to beat on home soil in the 2023 World Cup, given that they will feel more at home in such conditions as well. However, the veteran feels they have the team to compete here and win the coveted trophy for the second time as well. While England are the defending champions and have a strong side, India are almost unbeatable at home as well. The Indian team have also made a resounding start to their campaign, winning their first two games as well.

As quoted by Sky Sports, the veteran right-arm seamer said: “It’s an incredibly tough challenge to win in India. I think the sub-continental teams will feel more at home with the conditions. That makes it extremely hard for us to knock them off their perch. But we’ve got the squad and the players to be able to compete. People have looked at us for a while and we’ve had a little bit of a target on our back as a white-ball team, around the world.”

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Meanwhile, England bounced back with a 137-run victory over Bangladesh after New Zealand beat them by eight wickets. They will play hosts India in Lucknow on October 29th as well. However, Chris Woakes added that he hasn’t been at his best in the 2 matches played, but he is confident of doing well at the right time.

“I certainly feel that I would’ve liked to have bowled a little bit better. But these are long competitions and you don’t want to peak too soon. I have built into tournaments in the past and into series, which I suppose holds me in good stead. But you contribute every time you go out in the field. So, I’ll be working hard in practice to try and make sure that I’m on the money,” Chris Woakes concluded.