ENG v IND, 2018: Keys to victory for India

The Indian cricket teams have always found it tough touring England. Even the best of the squads found very little success in England. The conditions out there are completely alien and tough to acclimatise to. The last two tours to England were major embarrassments where the Indian team was clean swept 4-0 in the Test series in 2011. The performance was slightly better although not satisfactory in 2014. They lost that Test series 3-1.

It has been four long years since the Indian cricket team has last toured England. Since it has been such a long interval, it would be tough for the players to remember the conditions. They will have to get quite a lot of things right if the team is to extract better results this time around.

However, the biggest positive for the Indian team is that they have got a much more balanced side. None of the squads before had so much balance with good bowlers and all-rounders in the ranks. This is a great chance to set the records straight in England. To do so, here are the keys to victory for India that will be important in helping them win.

1. Virat Kohli’s performance in the English conditions

Virat Kohli over the last few years has been the backbone of the Indian cricket team. He has carried the responsibilities of the side on his shoulders and helped the team bag many memorable wins. Further, he has scored runs all around the world irrespective of the conditions being the in the batsmen’s favour or the bowler’s favour. He has battled against the odds when the team found itself in tough situations. Moreover, he is the leading run scorer for India since 2016 across formats.

Also, he has inspired the team with his fitness levels and captaincy tactics. However, one place where he struggled with the bat terribly is England. He record in the country is pathetic and he will definitely want to improve upon that. In 10 Test innings in 2014, Virat has only managed to score 134 runs at an average of 13.40. However, he is a completely different player now who is a lot more matured and he will play an important role in this series.