India-England series is only two weeks away and the intensity is rising with every day. The England team is busy playing India A in their first warm-up match and have already been tested once. India A scored 369 in the first innings and it was the rate of scoring that would have troubled Alastair Cook.

There have been a lot of talks about the pitches and the conditions that the England team will have to cope-up with. Some of the Indian players have made it clear that they are treating this series as a revenge battle and won’t like to give England an inch. They have also made it clear that England should be ready to play on some rank-turners.

British media criticized the Indian board for not picking any spinner for the India A team so that the English batsmen don’t get a chance to play the spinners.

Everyone is talking about how England will negotiate Indian spinners and how India will use the home advantage, however everyone has forgotten the fact that England possess one of the best bowling attack of modern times and that it has been India’s batting that has been responsible for India’s debacle in Test cricket in the recent times.

It is true that England batsmen will struggle against spinners on spinning tracks but it is also a fact that England have one of the best spinners in their side in the form of Graeme Swann and have some quality pace bowlers who in the past have delivered even on the sub-continent pitches.

England last year travelled to UAE to face Pakistan in a three-match Test series. Pakistan won that series 3-0, but it was the English batsmen who failed as a unit and were responsible for England’s demise. English bowlers like Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and James Anderson all bowled well and kept Pakistani batsmen under the check.

Broad took 13 wickets at the average of 20, Swann took 13 wickets at 25 and Anderson took nine wickets at the average of 27. Pakistan in the series could only go past the 300 run-mark twice and were once bowled out for 99. So, that proves that England bowlers can do well on turning tracks as well.

Now, coming to Indian batting one can say that most of the batsmen are out of form and the Indian batting looked itchy even against New Zealand. Openers Sehwag and Gambhir are going through a tough time and will walk in the first match with huge pressure on them.

Pujara looked good against New Zealand but he is still new at the international circuit and will be tested against the English quickies. Sachin Tendulkar’s form is the biggest cause of worry for the Indian team management. He has struggled in the past three series. Kohli batting at number five is the in-form player for India and a lot will depend on him.

Either Yuvraj Singh or Suresh Raina will bat at number six and both have had trouble against Swann in the past. Dhoni is phenomenal in the
shorter formats but he too has struggled in Test cricket. It is a fact that Indian batsmen will be confident playing in their home condition but they have to be a bit wary about the fact that they will be facing bowlers who can do well in all the conditions.
 
 

By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News Network