England-India - who's gonna win?

[centurymaker]

I'm basing my opinion on England having an attack that is so far ahead of India's it's punishing.

Look, it all comes down to Zaheer, because India's support bowlers aren't as good as England's. If Zaheer is injured or for some reason doesn't fire, I can't see India bowling England out twice.

What's more, if Zaheer is on song (and there is no reason to think he won't be) then I can see Anderson cancelling him out. He's in great nick right now, and bowling at home. If his swing doesn't trouble Sehwag early then Tremlett at six foot one thousand will probably do the rib cage thing which sorted him out against Australia last year in India on flatter decks.

Certainly India's batting is strong - stronger than England's, but I really think England has the attack to bowl them out for manageable totals.

The only tests that england have lost comprehensively recently have been the ones played on helpful decks (Perth, and last test v SA) and the tests India tend to win most overseas are those played in favourable bowling conditions because it brings their bowling attack into play. Thus, if the weather remains dull in England which it most likely will, I can't see england not losing 1 test.

 

[Burgey]

The only tests that england have lost comprehensively recently have been the ones played on helpful decks (Perth, and last test v SA) and the tests India tend to win most overseas are those played in favourable bowling conditions because it brings their bowling attack into play. Thus, if the weather remains dull in England which it most likely will, I can't see england not losing 1 test.

Yeah fair enough. Shaping up as a really good series I think. Like watching Hitler playing Stalin from my POV, but there we are.

 

[vcs]

I'm basing my opinion on England having an attack that is so far ahead of India's it's punishing.

Look, it all comes down to Zaheer, because India's support bowlers aren't as good as England's. If Zaheer is injured or for some reason doesn't fire, I can't see India bowling England out twice.

What's more, if Zaheer is on song (and there is no reason to think he won't be) then I can see Anderson cancelling him out. He's in great nick right now, and bowling at home. If his swing doesn't trouble Sehwag early then Tremlett at six foot one thousand will probably do the rib cage thing which sorted him out against Australia last year in India on flatter decks.

Certainly India's batting is strong - stronger than England's, but I really think England has the attack to bowl them out for manageable totals.

India will have to up their game for sure. No slow starts, no inexplicable collapses, no 620/4 type bowling performances allowed.

 

[Burgey]

India will have to up their game for sure. No slow starts, no inexplicable collapses, no 620/4 type bowling performances allowed.

Yeah, and I'm not saying they won't, just saying I think England will be awfully hard to beat at home.

Does the itinerary provide for warm up games or are they going in cold like they did in SA?

 

[Jono]

They have two warm-up games. One before the series starts and one in the middle of the series, after the 2nd test.

 

[Burgey]

Well that's better planning tbf. I'd prefer another kne or two were I them, but it's better than recent times.

 

[Bun]

No, I'm not saying they're directly related. It's just an example to demonstrate that what would have seemed a ridiculous pre-series actually happened. And India not winning a Test in England isn't even a ridiculous possibility. Remote, sure, but not ridiculous.

reading this I'd think India is a middle rung test team, with hopeless batsmen and bowlers and traditionally have ****ed up in england.

this side has more pedigree than any side which visited those shores in the last two decades imho. And we haven't lost in the last decade and half.

and tbh this side isn't even the best english side in the last decade.

 

[TumTum]

and tbh this side isn't even the best english side in the last decade.

Pretty sure it is.

 

[Burgey]

Pretty sure it is.

2005 England side was good tbf. Though of course they cheated in that series

 

[TumTum]

2005 England side was good tbf. Though of course they cheated in that series

The current side has almost all batsman in form (only Strauss and KP are not, but both are very good players) and now they have a world class spinner. If you make Jimmy = Flintoff (bowling), this current side is better.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah but it's a pretty fine difference and the bowling, as a unit, in my view was better in '05 (not by much, though). So I'd say if those two sides ever got to play against each other, it'd be a great contest.

 

[Bun]

The current side has almost all batsman in form (only Strauss and KP are not, but both are very good players) and now they have a world class spinner. If you make Jimmy = Flintoff (bowling), this current side is better.

nope, they this team might have the edge in batting sweepstakes, but when it comes to bowling no question the 05 team was better.

imho, the english team from 04 to 06 was as good as the aus team then.

 

[GIMH]

reading this I'd think India is a middle rung test team, with hopeless batsmen and bowlers and traditionally have ****ed up in england.

this side has more pedigree than any side which visited those shores in the last two decades imho. And we haven't lost in the last decade and half.

and tbh this side isn't even the best english side in the last decade.

nope, they this team might have the edge in batting sweepstakes, but when it comes to bowling no question the 05 team was better.

imho, the english team from 04 to 06 was as good as the aus team then.

Bun, when you say 'any side' do you mean any India side, or any side full stop?

And I definitely think this a better England side than the 05 one, but it's a really close one. Can't blame anyone for going either way on it.

 

[Blaze 18]

Yeah fair enough. Shaping up as a really good series I think. Like watching Hitler playing Stalin from my POV, but there we are.

 

[Blaze 18]

India's batsmen should do okay. It helps that they only recently played arguably the best new ball pairing going around in conditions more difficult than anything they'll likely get in England (day one of the Centurion test was just...crazy). The fact that India have traditionally done much better in England than in South Africa may also help. India's bowlers will have to step up and step up in a big way though. Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma (or whoever plays) will have to do what Munaf and RP Singh did in 2007 : provide adequate support to Zaheer. Harbhajan has to carry on from the last test in South Africa. Otherwise, I can see a few 600/6 kind of totals, especially with the form the likes of Cook and Trott are in.

 

[Bun]

Bun, when you say 'any side' do you mean any India side, or any side full stop?

And I definitely think this a better England side than the 05 one, but it's a really close one. Can't blame anyone for going either way on it.

any indian side. The aus 05 squad imho was the strongest to visit eng in my memory.

 

[Jono]

The current England side may be better than the 05 one, it may not be. That's up for debate. But what the 05 one had that the current one doesn't have is this fella:

So it's immediately less likeable.

 

[Teja.]

any indian side. The aus 05 squad imho was the strongest to visit eng in my memory.

DWTA. It was an ATG squad alright but Macca was injured and Gillespie was having a shocker, '01 squad the strongest of the last decade IMO. It had Steve Waugh too.

 

[Jono]

The current England side may be better than the 05 one, it may not be. That's up for debate. But what the 05 one had that the current one doesn't have is this fella:

So it's immediately less likeable.

On second thought the Swann and Anderson Ashes tour videos may tilt it in the current team's favour.

England have had some top blokes.

Current team has Broad though, which brings it down a few notches.

 

[Furball]

Yeah but it's a pretty fine difference and the bowling, as a unit, in my view was better in '05 (not by much, though). So I'd say if those two sides ever got to play against each other, it'd be a great contest.

I'd say the current bowling unit is overwhelmingly superior to 2005.

The 2005 unit was carried by Flintoff and Jones.