Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Like a little kid on their way to a candy store, I’m very excited.
India have won a thrilling T20I series, and the stage is set for a huge ODI and Test series against England.
This tour just offers so many tantalising prospects that will have myself and millions of others glued to the action. England have just swept Australia 5-0 in ODIs, but India are sure to pose a greater challenge.
India are also desperate to improve their Test record away from home, and they now have the talent within their bowling ranks to mount a big challenge. They also have the batting talent. Can India cope well over five Tests, or will England get revenge for their 4-0 loss in India in 2016?
It promises to be a beauty.
In this cricket opinion piece, I will highlight four key things India need to get right to have a successful tour. By successful, I mean winning the ODI and Test series – the two series that have greater significance over the T20I series.
India won the T20I series, but how we rate whether they have had a successful England is via the ODI and Test series.
Here goes:
Key #1: The performance of India’s bowlers
ODIs:
Let’s start with the ODIs.
England took apart Australia’s bowlers in the 5-0 demolition, taking advantage of Australia’s inability to execute good lines and lengths throughout the innings.
With India, they possess two of the finest ODI bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who can adjust their lines, lengths and pace depending on the conditions and situation. Unfortunately, Bumrah is out but India still have enough in their armoury to have a good series. For this to occur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs to find his best touch, after a shaky T20I series.
In addition, we can’t forget the demolition job from Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the 5-1 series win in South Africa, and Umesh Yadav’s excellent IPL campaign. These three were very good in the T20Is. India have the resources in their bowling line up to keep England relatively quiet. No doubt this is key.
Tests:
There were plenty of encouraging signs from India’s seam bowlers in South Africa earlier this year. What hurt India the most in that series was the lack of preparation in the lead up, which is something they are guarding against this time.
India’s pace attack looked threatening, admittedly on helpful surfaces, but if they can get the ball moving on a full length, England need to watch out. Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the 2014 tour of England absolutely brilliantly, but now that he has a little extra pace about him, he’ll be one to watch as leader of the attack.
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| These four have plenty to offer |
Key #2: Virat Kohli
There is plenty of talk about Virat Kohli’s Test record in England, so this is his chance to show us just how far he has come since 2014. It was a nightmare series for Virat, scoring just 134 runs at 13.40, but he has shown his quality in abundance since then, piling on runs in all formats.
He is such a key for India in this tour. If he has a poor series, I can’t see India winning. He is the kind of player people will rally around, and it showed when India won in Johannesburg this year. Kohli was brilliant on a very difficult pitch, leading the way for others such as Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara to help India win the game.
If Kohli has a big series, you know India will have a big series, too.
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| Plenty depends on Virat Kohli |
Key #3: Getting ahead
Despite India showing time-and-time again how good they are coming from behind to win an ODI series, this is a tour where they’d love to play from in front. In a three match ODI series, against a quality England team, it’s important to try and win that first game.
In the Tests, it’s also important to get in front, despite it being a longer series. In 2014, they were able to get in front after a special win at Lord’s, but then lost steam in the remaining Tests. Again, India can show us just how far they have come as a Test team if they maintain a strong level of performance across the five Tests.
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Key #4: India’s batting
This seems obvious, but there are specific things India need to get right to be successful.
The T20I series will be useful in assisting India’s big hitters to get some form ahead of the ODIs. With England boasting magnificent finishers, namely Jos Buttler, India’s middle order must stand up to win the ODI series. MS Dhoni was superb in the IPL, hitting 455 runs at 75.03 with a SR of 150. Can he be at his best in England? Can the likes of Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya also step up?
India’s middle order is said to be their achilles heel in ODI cricket in recent times, so these are big questions.
In the Tests, Virat Kohli, as mentioned, will be key. But, can India settle on an opening combination? Is Shikhar Dhawan the answer? He averages in the 60s against West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, but 32 against South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England. Can Cheteshwar Pujara get things right overseas, after a tough county stint? His record outside of Asia is not worthy of a player with such good technique and temperament. Also, can Ajinkya Rahane continue to prove his worth as one of India’s finest overseas batsmen at the moment?
These are also big questions for India in such a big tour.
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| What impact will these two have? |
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So, with all that said, I can’t wait for the matches to begin. All three series could go either way, but the ODIs and Tests, looking at what’s at stake, will be particularly huge. If India are to win these series, I think these four factors are key.
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