India vs England 2014: 5 players to watch out for : Ian Bell

India vs England 2014: Five players to watch out for

India and England are all set to play a rare five-match long Test series. Before the much-anticipated series kicks-off, let’s find out who are the top five players to watch-out for, in a series where a lot would be at stake.

Cheteshwar Pujara

After the retirement of `The Wall`, Rahul Dravid, Pujara was the number one contender to fill the number three spot in Test cricket. And as expected, the right-hander has so far fulfilled the expectations. In a short span of 19 Tests, he has scored six tons and five fifties and maintains a healthy average of 58.92. But his biggest test would be in England where India had a forgettable series last time. He has that patience, temperament, and most importantly solid technique this format asks for. So he just needs to apply himself in the tough English conditions to establish himself completely in the Test squad.

Alastair Cook

The Ashes drubbing, followed by the series defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka at home soil, must be giving the English skipper sleepless nights before the series against India. He is not just facing criticism for his poor captaincy but is also struggling with the bat. The Test series against the less experienced Indian side could be a good opportunity for Cook to silent his critics by leading from the front. It would be interesting to see how he utilises his prime bowlers – James Anderson and Stuart Broad. But at the same time, another series failure could be end of the road of Cook’s regime.

MS Dhoni

If Cook’s captaincy is under serious threat, then India’s ‘ice cool’ skipper, MS Dhoni too would be under immense pressure to prove that he is still the best man to lead the Indian side in the longest format of the game. Wounds of 4-0 whitewash in England during the last tour would still be fresh, as India never recovered from that drubbing and haven’t won a single match outside sub-continent since then. So it would be interesting to watch whether MSD, who has a knack to silent his critics, can turn the tables this time around or it would be the same old story.

Mohammed Shami

Shami is an interesting prospect for India. He has the pace and swing that can test any batsman in the English conditions. And during the South Africa and New Zealand tour, the right-arm seamer proved it as well. If he gets the momentum early on in the series, he is capable of destroying any batting line-up with his disciplined bowling. In fact, his reverse swing makes him more lethal when the ball gets a bit old. With another swing bowler, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he can do wonders. But to keep himself fit throughout the five matches would be a real test for the bowler, who is still learning the traits of Test cricket.

Ian Bell

One of the senior most members of the England squad, Ian Bell has been struggling with the bat. Though the solid middle-order batsman got the start in the first innings of both the Tests against Sri Lanka, he failed to convert them into big scores. In the absence of formidable duo – Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen – it wouldn’t be wrong if we call him the backbone of the side or for that matter the batting mainstay of the team. The 32-year-old has played 100 tests for England and has an impressive average of 45.12, with 20 hundreds under his belt. At a time when England are going through a transition phase, it’s the responsibility of the stylish batsman to play crucial role with the bat and lead the youngsters by examples.