Dravid helped me become a better player of spin: Sam Billings

Mumbai: England middle-order batsman Sam Billings may not be a regular in the XI but the 25-year-old is fast developing into one of the best English batsmen against spin. His precise footwork was on full display when he produced a match winning knock of 85-ball 93 against India A on Tuesday.

Billings showed restrained aggression even as his compatriots struggled against the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. “It is about manipulating the spin as much as hitting boundaries — rotating the strike with those fine sweeps, just trying to disrupt the bowler and the fields that they set,” he said.

Billings credited his IPL stint with Delhi Daredevils under Rahul Dravid last year for the improvement in his footwork. “Working with Rahul was an amazing experience and I would like to work with him again,” Billings said.

The English batsman acknowledged that spin would play a massive part in the upcoming series but felt England’s batsmen were capable of handling it. “Ashwin and Jadeja are the best in the world. We have got quite a few guys with lots of experience over here now,” he said. Billings knows despite his match-winning knock here, he might have to make way for Joe Root or Ben Stokes in the XI.