http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/020618/80/d1drl.html
India set off on a tour of England today in search of a test series victory outside south Asia which has eluded them for more than 16 years.
Their first test series in England for six years will be a huge challenge against a home side which has looked in ominous form in the three-test series against Sri Lanka.
India play a one-day triangular series also involving Sri Lanka on June 27 before the four-test series starts at Lord’s on July 25.
India, who lost a five-test series 2-1 in West Indies last month, will hope their strong batting line-up shows more consistency in England.
India won the second Trinidad test but batting failures led to defeats in the third test in Barbados and the deciding fifth test in Jamaica.
A major setback followed when leading fast bowler Javagal Srinath announced his retirement from tests on returning from West Indies.
The absence of Srinath, who played in 64 tests, will leave India short of experience in a four-pronged pace attack chosen for conditions to suit seam bowling.
Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and Tinu Yohannan have a combined experience of only 37 tests.
Playing the series in what is anticipated to be the drier second half of the English summer, India will pin their hopes on spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
Leg-spinner Kumble, touring England for the third time since making his test debut there in 1990, has just recovered from a fractured jaw suffered while batting in West Indies.
Chief selector Chandu Borde expects a tough series but is confident his players – the young fast bowlers in particular – will meet the challenge.
“England will be quite a challenge at home,” he told Reuters by phone on Monday from the western Pune city.
“But a lot of our boys are experienced. How soon they can settle down will matter.”
It will be India’s first test series in England since one they lost 1-0 in 1996. But they won a three-test series 1-0 at home late last year.
India hope to revive memories of 1986 when Kapil Dev led them to a 2-0 test series win in England, the last time they won outside the familiar conditions of the sub-continent.
India’s poor overseas record has been largely attributed to the weakness of their batsmen against pace on bouncy tracks.
But skipper Saurav Ganguly and top batsman Sachin Tendulkar will seek to inspire their side.
Ganguly struck two consecutive centuries on his test debut in 1996 and enters the series having regained his test batting form in the Caribbean, scoring 322 runs at an average of 53.66.
The trip will also hold special significance for Tendulkar after a relatively quiet tour of West Indies, where he scored 331 runs at 41.37.
Tendulkar, now 29 and regarded as the world’s leading batsman, is set to become only the third Indian to play 100 tests when he turns out in the final game at The Oval.
Borde said India would benefit from the presence of a number of youngsters chosen for the one-day series in the build-up for next year’s World Cup.
“There is lot of young blood. They are full of energy and will be trying their best,” Borde said.
So who do you think will win the triangular series. Also who will win the test series. I think England will win both the triangular and test series.
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