India Vs England: A Preview.......

 You don't need to be a psychologist to read whats in the minds of both India and England before the start of what is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly anticipated India vs England series in quite a while and i dare say one of the most eagerly anticipated home test series for India in a long while. The last time this much anticipation was there when these 2 countries met, England went on to win the series 4-0 and snatch the Number 1 ranking from India. I am sure that if you are reading this then you must surely know which 4-0 spanking I am talking about here. If not, then I am afraid that you were probably spending your vacation in Mars. I don't think there has ever been a series between the number 1 and number 2 sides in the world which was as one sided as India's tour to England last year. Quite simply, India got smashed both physically and mentally by England. And so deep were the wounds that were inflicted by England during that series that India went on to lose 4-0 in Australia as well even though they went into that tour in a confident frame of mind. I doubt that those wounds have healed even after more then a year has passed. And these wounds wont heal unless India finds some mental peace. And that peace can only come in one way.......return the favour to England...beat them 4-0.

                        Not many countries are as strong as India are in their backyard. Its no secret. The difference in the body language and mental frame of the players is like chalk and cheese in comparison to an overseas tour. Its like as if Harry Potter has cast a spell on the Indian players which turns them into dragons at home and well,.... mice abroad. Of course, India have vastly improved as a touring nation compared to what they were in the 1990s. But the last two disastrous tours have raised a question..."Are India going back to their days of Tigers at Home, Mice abroad now with Dravid and Laxman retiring and Sachin soon to follow???" or was it just "a fluke and a flash in the pan." And this series is the first step in answering that question even though its being played at home. India are going into this series as such overwhelming favourites that anything less then a series win could mean the end of Dhoni's era as a Captain and the end of  Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan's carriers. India have a lot at stake in this series and i dare say much more to lose then England. As to how desperate India really are can be seen from the warm up games that England have played on this tour, mediocre opposition and more importantly no exposure to quality spinners for the England batsmen. I find  this extremely unsporting from the BCCI.

                         On the other hand, we have England whose progress as a cricketing powerhouse has only gone downhill since they took over the Number 1 ranking. They got beaten 3-0 by Pakistan in the Middle East, drew 1-1 in Sri lanka (a credible result, mind you) and then lost their Number 1 ranking at home by losing 0-2 to an extremely well polished South Africa. Andrew Strauss has retired now and Alastair Cook has now taken over the reins and for an England side I don't think there is a tougher tour then a "Tour of India" even though in terms of importance, the Ashes tour wins it hands down. Make no mistake though, England aren't going to be pushovers. They weren't the Number 1 side for nothing and their biggest strength lies in their preparation before a big series. The biggest reason for England's 1-3 win over Australia down under was in the way they went through the process of conquering the conditions and the opposition. In Andy Flower they have one of the best coaches in the world, if not the best, who leaves nothing to chance. A man who knows the value of hard work and who is probably the main reason behind England’s success in recent years.  I have no doubt that Andy Flower would have been preparing for this series for a long time and especially after the 5-0 ODI series defeat to India in India last year his resolve to do well this time around will be much stronger. Just like “Chokers” is the perennial word which the South Africans hate to discuss, “Playing spin” falls in the same category for England. And this is the backbone of what scoreline this series might end.

                           Coming to this series, the prospects are endless and the individual battles that will unfold are fascinating to say the least. For me there are a few key areas and battles that I think will decide the series:

1.      Alastair Cook Vs Zaheer Khan: This battle at the top of the order should be one of the battles of the series for me. Zaheer likes bowling to left handed opening batsmen and Cook is one of those guys whom you don’t want to get off to a start. Plus, that he is now the Captain makes his wicket one of the biggest in this series.

2.      Kevin Pietersen Vs Pragyan Ojha and Yuvraj Singh: Another big battle. And its one battle that England will have to win if they are to do well in this series. Pietersen’s habit of getting out to slow left arm bowlers is well known around the world. One thing for sure is that this battle won’t be boring. KP will take the Indian spinners on. Its either Boom or Bust.

3.      Virender Sehwag Vs James Anderson:  The most destructive batsman in world cricket on his day versus the best swing-seam bowler in test cricket. England’s biggest weapon in this series is their fast bowling and Anderson has had good success against Sehwag recently. Plus, Sehwag has been struggling for form of late. So, an engrossing battle on the cards here.

4.      Sachin Tendulkar Vs Graeme Swann:  Swann will have to do a lot of bowling in this series and I am pretty sure that when Tendulkar comes out to bat then England will bowl Anderson and Swann at him to start off. And I expect Sachin to respect Anderson and look to take Swann on. Quite frankly, the way Sachin bats in this series is going to be one of the talking points of the cricketing world. I personally hope to see Sachin bat aggressively and take on England’s bowlers. The cricketing world and the whole of India seems like a better place to live in when Sachin is in full flow.

CONCLUSION: Its no secret that India go in as clear favourites in this series. But India aren’t going to find it as easy they might have hoped. England will have their moments in this series but eventually the turning ball on turning pitches might be too much to handle. I am secretly hoping for a 4-0 win as an Indian fan but I am also hoping that England have an Ace under their sleeve and reveal a new and surprising tactic to counter India’s spin bowling. What I also hope for is some brilliant umpiring (with no DRS in the series). It’s a big series and nobody wants the talks of DRS and poor umpiring to spoil the party. My prediction is a 2-0 or a 3-1 win to India.