India vs England: 5 reasons why Team India can win : Better bowling attack

India vs England: 5 reasons why Team India can win

Memories of India’s last tour to England are extremely painful for the Indian cricket fans. The MS Dhoni-led side was annihilated at the hands of England who comprehensively won it 4-0 and crushed India in all departments of the game. As Dhoni & Co. have arrived in England for yet another Test series, this time for five matches, here’s why India can put a better show against the Poms.

Cook’s form

Skipper Cook has been the backbone of his team over the years. He had been in sublime form when England came to India in 2012 where he hit centuries in all three tests. But of late, Cook’s willow has failed to produce the kind of magic needed to win series and the left-hander is now under scrutiny after having lost two consecutive series. He has also been criticized for his defensive captaincy in the last few series. Indian bowlers should try and capitalize on Cook’s poor form and they can for sure get England in trouble, every time they dismiss Cook for a meager score.

England’s form

When India last toured England, the hosts were at their peak. Cook was in good form and his every move produced favourable results for England. There was a lot of unity within the team and senior players took the responsibility of scoring pivotal knocks every now and then. Stuart Broad and James Anderson – both bowled some match-winning spells and were too hot to handle for Dhoni & Co. But at the moment, England are going through a transition phase and the changes made into the team in the last few months have definitely made an impact on their overall performance.

Absence of England’s key trio

England’s performance has only deteriorated ever since the team missed the facilities of their maverick spinner Graeme Swann and a reliable batsman in Jonathan Trott. Kevin Pietersen’s shocking ousting after the return Ashes series have made matter worse for the team. All these three players were match-winners for their team and Cook is finding it extremely hard to cope up to the pressure without his former team-mates.

India’s young brigade

Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been an integral part of Team India’s success in the last few years. While Kohli has undoubtedly been India’s most prolific batsman in all formats, the latter has been a run-machine in Tests. Both these batsmen played some significant innings in South Africa and New Zealand, troubling world class bowlers on seaming conditions. Ajinkya Rahane too, is slowly and steadily proving his mettle at the international level and the series against England could be the perfect opportunity for him to cement his spot for a long time.

Better bowling attack

Unlike last time, MS Dhoni has a better seam attack this time. Mohammed Shami wasn’t at his best in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League but he is someone who has the pace and swing to make the best of the English conditions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar would be Dhoni’s go-to man for this series as he has been very impressive with his line and length in all the formats. Ishant Sharma is the most experienced bowler of the lot and on his day, he can for sure send the hosts on to the back foot.