London - Ian Botham believes England's end of year tour
programme will be judged on their upcoming five-Test tour of India, rather than
a stunning loss to Bangladesh.
England, 100 without loss at tea on Sunday's third day in
Dhaka, collapsed to 164 all out on a spin-friendly pitch to lose by 108 runs -
their first Test match defeat by Bangladesh.
The result saw Bangladesh share the two-match series 1-1 and
raised fresh concerns over how England would cope in similar conditions in India,
whose attack will feature off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin - Test cricket's
number one-ranked bowler.
"It (a rapid collapse) can happen in that part of the
world," England great Botham said in an interview in London on Sunday.
"The wickets are tailored, they are designed to spin.
When you see spinners opening in Tests with the new ball, you get an idea of
what's coming.
"It's good for them (Bangladesh). But what they've got
to do is to start winning outside of their own country. That's the acid test
and that's what England have got to do now.
"At the end of the day, they'll be judged not so much
on what happens in Bangladesh, but they will be judged more on what happens in
India."
While questions remain about England's spinners, and their
ability to play spin, Botham said all was far from lost for Alastair Cook's
side as they headed to India.
"England have got the bowlers who can take the pitch
out of the equation with reverse swing," the former pace bowling
all-rounder added. "If they go out there and they perform they can
win."
Stuart Broad, controversially rested in Dhaka, is set to
lead England's pace attack and make his 100th Test appearance when the India
series opener in Rajkot starts on November 9.
"I presented him with his cap when he first played in
Colombo," said Botham. "There was stuff about Stuart Broad 'the
enforcer'. He got a bit caught up in that.
"But he's bowled his best spells when he bowls at the
top of off stump, Australia at The Oval (when Broad took four for eight in
2009), Australia at Trent Bridge (eight for 15 in 2015)."
As for the decision to rest Broad, Botham said:
"Bowlers, rotate them. I was more in the Ben Stokes category. He won't get
rested and I wouldn't have either."
Durham all-rounder Stokes starred with both bat and ball in
England's 22-run win in the first Test against Bangladesh and Botham said:
"I think he's fantastic. I think he's box office. I love watching him
play, I like his attitude, I like the aggression.
"He's the kind of cricketer you'll cross the road to
watch. It is all a learning curve for him now, but he learns quickly,"
said Botham in an interview at a Hardy's wine-tasting event in London.
Botham, however, forecast changes to England's faltering top
order.
"I think someone like Jos Buttler might come into the
equation. Spinners, he can destroy them. They (England) are not going to do
anything drastic. Maybe Buttler comes in for someone like Gary Ballance,
perhaps?"
As the cricket-lovers among the wine-buffs at London's
Olympia exhibition centre posed for 'selfies' with Botham, he recalled how a
friendship with the late English cricket broadcaster John Arlott - also a noted
wine writer - had broadened his horizons.
"John took me under his wing when I was about 16 or
17," said Botham, himself now 60. "We got on very well and stayed
friends. I helped carry the coffin at his funeral. He was a wonderful man.
"I was a boy from Somerset and we used to drink cider.
He started my education in wine.
"We bought a house just down the road from him (in the
Channel Island of Alderney).
"Now when I go to Alderney I always get a very good bottle of red, go down to his grave, take the cork out, toast him with a glass, and leave the cork on the grave."