http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 – 1st Test – Preview
After plenty of off-field chatter, India and England finally meet on the cricket pitch in a bid to settle old scores and re-write history in the opening Test of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Huzefa-Mohammed-Patel-c63657 Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, tomorrow, November 15, 2012.
Billed as a spin/revenge challenge – depending on which team one supports, the series is a serious match to any sporting contest in the world. A lot has changed since the two teams last met, and it all boils down to how the respective camps cope with the hype.
Like the Australia-South Africa series, the upcoming contest again offers the diminishing nature of five-day cricket a perfect chance to deal with adversity, and one certainly expects some mouth-watering battles in the coming weeks.
The changing nature of cricket means that the Indians will be without their supreme duo of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/VVS-Laxman-c2772, both of whom retired in the wake of the team’s slump last year, which began with a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of England.
That rollicking came at a time, when the Men in Blue were flying high from their World Cup triumph and were at the top of the Test rankings. The Poms demolished them in such a manner that revenge seemed the most appropriate option.
However, the home side’s task won’t be an easy one, given the patchy form of their current most experienced trio of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SR-Tendulkar-c2556. All have fallen considerably short of the mark in the past 12 months, and their reputations are certainly under scrutiny.
The latter two hit some form in the domestic circuit but it is fair to say that they are nowhere near their best. The Little Master has declared that he will reassess his international future after this series and a tough trial awaits him, with England clearly stating that they are not here to give the batting maestro added respect.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SK-Raina-c2539 to get the nod and will be looking to make that position his own.
The Indian selectors and even http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harbhajan-Singh-c61453 as well.
However, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umesh-Yadav-c94625 also in the mix for the pace bowling spots, it is highly unlikely that the team will play three frontline spinners. Nonetheless, expect the Indians to come out all guns spin blazing to prove their mettle on their preferred home soil.
The visitors are in a building phase of their own. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SCJ-Broad-c2465 has had little bowling practice under his belt.
Despite all that, there are plenty of positives to count upon. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806’s reintegration into the lineup has gone smoothly and logically caught little attention. England remain much more fluent when he is in the middle-order.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501 will lead the spin line and expect him to be charged up for the gruelling affairs.
To sum up, as said by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, and largely, to improve their record in India, where they have not claimed a series win in 27 years.
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