#IndvsEng: Will British-Raj end?

The series will be the first five match affair on Indian soil in three decades and the opening clash will also mark the debut of Rajkot as a Test venue. It promises to be an engrossing contest between the world No.1 ranked India and the team that last beat them at home four years ago. In 2012, England came back from a game down to turn the tables on India and post a 2-1 win in a fourgame rubber. Superior spin bowling by Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, both of whom are no longer part of the squad, was a major factor in that English triumph. 

Also some excellent batting by current skipper Alastair Cook and the controversial Kevin Pietersen, who is no longer a part of England’s scheme of things, were the highlights for England. The current Indian team led by Virat Kohli, who was a member of the team that was vanquished four years ago and later in England (3-1) two years ago in a best-of-five contest, would not have forgotten the hard lessons.  This time around, however, England have come into the series after a first-ever shock defeat in a Test match at the hands of Bangladesh in Dhaka to draw the two-match rubber 1-1. The tourists have also not played any warm-up game after landing in India a week ago. 

Add to that, their highest Test wicket-taker James Anderson is not available for at least the opening skirmish as he is yet to return to complete fitness from a shoulder injury. Both Cook and all-rounder Stuart Broad, who is to play his 100th Test, have talked about England being the clear “underdogs” going into the rubber, especially against an Indian side being led in aggressive style by Kohli. Kohli would be extremely keen to improve his not-so-impressive record with the bat against the visitors.  The Indians are understandably wary of the England team. 

Coach Anil Kumble wants his team to execute plans exactly like they did when they swamped New Zealand 3-0 to begin the home season on a rousing note. This would also be the first Test series in India where the Decision Review System (DRS) will be used. The hosts, with little experience of it in Tests barring the one series eight years ago in Sri Lanka, have been busy planning their strategy on how to approach the system.

England captain Alastair Cook has heaped high praise on Ravichandran Ashwin, saying India’s premier off-spinner has become a world-class bowler and compared his rapid rise to that of Graeme Swann. “One of his obvious strengths at the moment is his confidence is sky high (that’s natural) if you have taken the number of wickets that he has done over last year or so in Indian conditions. Cricket is a funny game and a lot of it is played in the mind. He obviously must be flying (high),” said Cook on the eve of the first Test against India here, India’s premier spin bowler grabbed 27 wickets in three Tests against New Zealand to grab the man-of-the-series award for the fourth time in his career. 

Cook, who is one batsman who has played the lanky Indian off spinner with a lot of confidence in the sub-continent and at home, said it probably was because the Tamil Nadu bowler had grown as a bowler since 2012, in a case similar to his onetime teammate Graeme Swann who became a better bowler after being ignored for close to a decade since he made his debut. “Probably he knows his game better than in 2012. Four years down the line of experience and craft. You don’t just become a world class spinner overnight, it takes time to do that. Swann was probably the prime example for an Englishman who made his debut early and was probably 8-9 years in the wilderness and he said it helped him develop his spin bowling and probably Ashwin is the same,” said Cook.