The battle lines have been drawn. It has been trumpeted as the time for payback. Three humiliating series defeats at the hands of the Englishmen still seem to be fresh in many Indian fans minds. Nothing but a convincing series victory for Virat Kohli’s men will quench the fans’ thirst for revenge. Does the Indian team have the wherewithal to inflict wounds that will not heal for some time to come? We analyze here.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88796"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88796" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin" width="600" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88796" class="wp-caption-text">Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

South Africa came to India in 2015 having never lost an away series for 9 years. They couldn’t get past the Indian spinners and lost 3-0 in the four-match series.

In 2016, New Zealand landed in India and there were opinions floating around that Kiwis would prove to be a tough challenge to the Indians. They too found the Indian spinners too hot to handle and were promptly whitewashed 3-0.

Now it is England’s turn. So much has changed since their last visit to Indian shores in 2012. They had the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott then and Joe Root made his debut in the final Test of the series. This time they have a battle in their hands with few fresh faces.

To complicate matters for them, they are up against Ravichandran Ashwin who is bowling better now than ever before. Fresh from two ‘Man of the Series’ performances against the Windies and Kiwis, Ashwin will be licking his lips at the prospect of bowling to the lefties in the English line-up. There are as many as five of those in their top 7.

And even more significant has been the fact that, of late he has been targeting and dismissing the main batsman from the opponent team with alarming regularity. Ask AB de Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara or Kane Williamson. So beware Joe Root and Alastair Cook.

If tackling Ashwin alone wasn’t bad enough, the Brits must also plan against Jadeja. He is lethal on turners and with pitches expected to spin, one would imagine that they have their work cut out. He may prove to be as dangerous as Ashwin.

If somehow the English get through Ashwin and Jadeja, Amit Mishra may lay in waiting. With the selection of Hardik Pandya, there is every chance that Kohli may play 3 spinners and Mishra is more than a handful. All in all, India now has a better spin attack than they had last time. If they do their thing, then this may turn out to be a disastrous tour for England.

<h6>Also<strong> read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ravichandran-ashwin-embarrasess-a-troller-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ravichandran Ashwin embarrasses a troller on Twitter</a></strong></h6>

<strong>Middle order and Lower middle order:</strong>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88948"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88948" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" alt="wriddhaman-saha" width="600" height="407" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88948" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

There were stages in the series against South Africa and New Zealand when Indian batting was under the pump. But during the last series Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have scored tons. Indians will hope that Vijay will remain solid while they put their trust in the proven record of Gautam Gambhir. Should they fail, Pujara is expected to hold the innings together. Pujara had shown glimpses of returning to old run-making avatar against Kiwis. The onus is on him to continue batting in the same vein.

Kohli has some unfinished business with England and now is the right time to set things right. He enters yet another series in red hot form. If England finds a way past Kohli they will run into India’s best Test batsman &#8211; the man for all seasons and all pitches – Ajinkya Rahane. He has registered at least a 90 in each of his previous eight Test series. Not sure England will be happy to hear that!

Kiwis and West Indies managed to get through the top order and middle order a few times only to get thwarted by Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha and Jadeja. India’s lower order has ended up stopping the momentum of the fielding side. In hindsight, sometimes a gritty 40 might turn out to be the turning point and all these guys have shown they are capable of scoring that and more.

<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/harbhajan-singh-calls-wriddhiman-saha-best-wicketkeeper-world-wishing-birthday/" target="_blank">Harbhajan Singh calls Wriddhiman Saha best wicketkeeper in the world while wishing him on his birthday</a></strong></h6>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91345"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-91345" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes of England vs Bangladesh" width="600" height="439" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91345" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Even though Indians start as overwhelming favorites, it is not as though they are without holes. The holes though are not glaring. Indians have not yet mastered the art of dominating spin. Part-timers have got wickets and India, on quite a few times, was saved by the lower order. So if England pacemen and Ben Stokes, in particular, can get the ball to reverse, they have the chance of blowing out the lower order.

The batsmen gifted their wickets to Moeen Ali in 2014. It will be interesting to see how they front up against him as well as Adil Rashid. Rashid, though not accurate, has shown he can bowl some wicket-taking ones amidst ordinary ones. Indian batsmen would do well to guard against complacency.

<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ben-stokes-gives-a-cheeky-reply-to-shakib-al-hasan-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ben Stokes gives a cheeky reply to Shakib Al Hasan on Twitter</a></strong></h6>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/11/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91870"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91870 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="600" height="426" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91870" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya</figcaption>

Fate has thrown a lifeline at Gautam Gambhir. If he can get on a decent run of scores, the selectors will find it hard to drop him when KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan return. Of late, he has modified his stance a little and if he can get through the initial jittery period, he will have the opportunity to show his batting prowess against spin bowling.

Hardik Pandya is one player who was not expected to be in the team. Kohli loves attacking with fast bowlers, even in Indian conditions and everyone is curious to see where Pandya fits in. If given a go, through his performances he has a chance to throw his hat in the ring for the all-rounder’s spot as a seaming all-rounder when India tour overseas.

<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-new-star-horizon/" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya – The new star on the horizon</a></strong></h6>

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/07/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-77429"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-77429" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" alt="Alastair Cook" width="600" height="469" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-77429" class="wp-caption-text">Alastair Cook of England celebrates scoring a century. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Cook was unbreachable when he toured India in 2012. With his ability to play late, India will be happy to “cut the head of the snake” straightaway.

Root has grown in stature ever since his debut and is perhaps the most important wicket in the England line-up. As long as Root remains in the middle, English dressing-room will breathe easy.

Stokes has the ability to turn a match through his bowling as well as batting. He has shown in the past that he can be a dangerous player, Team India must always be wary of him.

In a nutshell, the Indian team has enough in the tank to overpower England, especially in Indian conditions. The time for talk is over and let the games begin!

<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/wwe-superstars-recognizable-alastair-cook/" target="_blank">WWE superstars more recognizable than Alastair Cook</a></strong></h6>

<p>The battle lines have been drawn. It has been trumpeted as the time for payback. Three humiliating series defeats at the hands of the Englishmen still seem to be fresh in many Indian fans minds. Nothing but a convincing series victory for Virat Kohli’s men will quench the fans’ thirst for revenge. Does the Indian team have the wherewithal to inflict wounds that will not heal for some time to come? We analyze here.</p>
<h4><strong>Strengths:</strong></h4>
<p><strong>Spin Trinity:</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_88796" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88796" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88796"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-88796" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin" width="600" height="464" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88796" class="wp-caption-text">Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa came to India in 2015 having never lost an away series for 9 years. They couldn’t get past the Indian spinners and lost 3-0 in the four-match series.</p>
<p>In 2016, New Zealand landed in India and there were opinions floating around that Kiwis would prove to be a tough challenge to the Indians. They too found the Indian spinners too hot to handle and were promptly whitewashed 3-0.</p>
<p>Now it is England’s turn. So much has changed since their last visit to Indian shores in 2012. They had the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott then and Joe Root made his debut in the final Test of the series. This time they have a battle in their hands with few fresh faces.</p>
<p>To complicate matters for them, they are up against Ravichandran Ashwin who is bowling better now than ever before. Fresh from two ‘Man of the Series’ performances against the Windies and Kiwis, Ashwin will be licking his lips at the prospect of bowling to the lefties in the English line-up. There are as many as five of those in their top 7.</p>
<p>And even more significant has been the fact that, of late he has been targeting and dismissing the main batsman from the opponent team with alarming regularity. Ask AB de Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara or Kane Williamson. So beware Joe Root and Alastair Cook.</p>
<p>If tackling Ashwin alone wasn’t bad enough, the Brits must also plan against Jadeja. He is lethal on turners and with pitches expected to spin, one would imagine that they have their work cut out. He may prove to be as dangerous as Ashwin.</p>
<p>If somehow the English get through Ashwin and Jadeja, Amit Mishra may lay in waiting. With the selection of Hardik Pandya, there is every chance that Kohli may play 3 spinners and Mishra is more than a handful.&nbsp;All in all, India now has a better spin attack than they had last time. If they do their thing, then this may turn out to be a disastrous tour for England.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6>Also<strong> read –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ravichandran-ashwin-embarrasess-a-troller-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ravichandran Ashwin embarrasses a troller on Twitter</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Middle order and Lower middle order:</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_88948" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88948" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88948"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-88948" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" alt="wriddhaman-saha" width="600" height="407" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88948" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>There were stages in the series against South Africa and New Zealand when Indian batting was under the pump. But during the last series Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have scored tons. Indians will hope that Vijay will remain solid while they put their trust in the proven record of Gautam Gambhir. Should they fail, Pujara is expected to hold the innings together. Pujara had shown glimpses of returning to old run-making avatar against Kiwis. The onus is on him to continue batting in the same vein.</p>
<p>Kohli has some unfinished business with England and now is the right time to set things right. He enters yet another series in red hot form. If England finds a way past Kohli they will run into India’s best Test batsman – the man for all seasons and all pitches – Ajinkya Rahane. He has registered at least a 90 in each of his previous eight Test series. Not sure England will be happy to hear that!</p>
<p>Kiwis and West Indies managed to get through the top order and middle order a few times only to get thwarted by Ashwin, Wriddhiman&nbsp;Saha and Jadeja. India’s lower order has ended up stopping the momentum of the fielding side. In hindsight, sometimes a gritty 40 might turn out to be the turning point and all these guys have shown they are capable of scoring that and more.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crictracker.com/harbhajan-singh-calls-wriddhiman-saha-best-wicketkeeper-world-wishing-birthday/" target="_blank">Harbhajan Singh calls Wriddhiman Saha best wicketkeeper in the world while wishing him on his birthday</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Weaknesses:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_91345" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91345" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91345"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-91345" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes of England vs Bangladesh" width="600" height="439" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91345" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Even though Indians start as overwhelming favorites, it is not as though they are without holes. The holes though are not glaring. Indians have not yet mastered the art of dominating spin. Part-timers have got wickets and India, on quite a few times, was saved by the lower order. So if England pacemen and Ben&nbsp;Stokes, in particular, can get the ball to reverse, they have the chance of blowing out the lower order.</p>
<p>The batsmen gifted their wickets to Moeen Ali in 2014. It will be interesting to see how they front up against him as well as Adil Rashid. Rashid, though not accurate, has shown he can bowl some wicket-taking ones amidst ordinary ones. Indian batsmen would do well to guard against complacency.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ben-stokes-gives-a-cheeky-reply-to-shakib-al-hasan-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ben Stokes gives a cheeky reply to Shakib Al Hasan on Twitter</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Opportunities:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_91870" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91870" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/11/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91870"><amp-img class="wp-image-91870 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="600" height="426" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91870" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya</figcaption></figure>
<p>Fate has thrown a lifeline at Gautam Gambhir. If he can get on a decent run of scores, the selectors will find it hard to drop him when KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan return. Of late, he has modified his stance a little and if he can get through the initial jittery period, he will have the opportunity to show his batting prowess against spin bowling.</p>
<p>Hardik Pandya is one player who was not expected to be in the team. Kohli loves attacking with fast bowlers, even in Indian conditions and everyone is curious to see where Pandya fits in. If given a go, through his performances he has a chance to throw his hat in the ring for the all-rounder’s spot as a seaming all-rounder when India tour overseas.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-new-star-horizon/" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya – The new star on the horizon</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Threats:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_77429" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-77429" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/07/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-77429"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-77429" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" alt="Alastair Cook" width="600" height="469" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-77429" class="wp-caption-text">Alastair Cook of England celebrates scoring a century. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Cook was unbreachable when he toured India in 2012. With his ability to play late, India will be happy to “cut the head of the snake” straightaway.</p>
<p>Root has grown in stature ever since his debut and is perhaps the most important wicket in the England line-up. As long as Root remains in the middle, English dressing-room will breathe easy.</p>
<p>Stokes has the ability to turn a match through his bowling as well as batting. He has shown in the past that he can be a dangerous player, Team India must always be wary of him.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, the Indian team has enough in the tank to overpower England, especially in Indian conditions. The time for talk is over and let the games begin!</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crictracker.com/wwe-superstars-recognizable-alastair-cook/" target="_blank">WWE superstars more recognizable than Alastair Cook</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>

<p>The battle lines have been drawn. It has been trumpeted as the time for payback. Three humiliating series defeats at the hands of the Englishmen still seem to be fresh in many Indian fans minds. Nothing but a convincing series victory for Virat Kohli’s men will quench the fans’ thirst for revenge. Does the Indian team have the wherewithal to inflict wounds that will not heal for some time to come? We analyze here.</p>
<h4><strong>Strengths:</strong></h4>
<p><strong>Spin Trinity:</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_88796" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88796" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88796"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88796" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin" width="600" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88796" class="wp-caption-text">Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>South Africa came to India in 2015 having never lost an away series for 9 years. They couldn’t get past the Indian spinners and lost 3-0 in the four-match series.</p>
<p>In 2016, New Zealand landed in India and there were opinions floating around that Kiwis would prove to be a tough challenge to the Indians. They too found the Indian spinners too hot to handle and were promptly whitewashed 3-0.</p>
<p>Now it is England’s turn. So much has changed since their last visit to Indian shores in 2012. They had the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott then and Joe Root made his debut in the final Test of the series. This time they have a battle in their hands with few fresh faces.</p>
<p>To complicate matters for them, they are up against Ravichandran Ashwin who is bowling better now than ever before. Fresh from two ‘Man of the Series’ performances against the Windies and Kiwis, Ashwin will be licking his lips at the prospect of bowling to the lefties in the English line-up. There are as many as five of those in their top 7.</p>
<p>And even more significant has been the fact that, of late he has been targeting and dismissing the main batsman from the opponent team with alarming regularity. Ask AB de Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara or Kane Williamson. So beware Joe Root and Alastair Cook.</p>
<p>If tackling Ashwin alone wasn’t bad enough, the Brits must also plan against Jadeja. He is lethal on turners and with pitches expected to spin, one would imagine that they have their work cut out. He may prove to be as dangerous as Ashwin.</p>
<p>If somehow the English get through Ashwin and Jadeja, Amit Mishra may lay in waiting. With the selection of Hardik Pandya, there is every chance that Kohli may play 3 spinners and Mishra is more than a handful. All in all, India now has a better spin attack than they had last time. If they do their thing, then this may turn out to be a disastrous tour for England.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6>Also<strong> read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ravichandran-ashwin-embarrasess-a-troller-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ravichandran Ashwin embarrasses a troller on Twitter</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Middle order and Lower middle order:</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_88948" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88948" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88948"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88948" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Wriddhaman-Saha-of-India.jpg" alt="wriddhaman-saha" width="600" height="407" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88948" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>There were stages in the series against South Africa and New Zealand when Indian batting was under the pump. But during the last series Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have scored tons. Indians will hope that Vijay will remain solid while they put their trust in the proven record of Gautam Gambhir. Should they fail, Pujara is expected to hold the innings together. Pujara had shown glimpses of returning to old run-making avatar against Kiwis. The onus is on him to continue batting in the same vein.</p>
<p>Kohli has some unfinished business with England and now is the right time to set things right. He enters yet another series in red hot form. If England finds a way past Kohli they will run into India’s best Test batsman &#8211; the man for all seasons and all pitches – Ajinkya Rahane. He has registered at least a 90 in each of his previous eight Test series. Not sure England will be happy to hear that!</p>
<p>Kiwis and West Indies managed to get through the top order and middle order a few times only to get thwarted by Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha and Jadeja. India’s lower order has ended up stopping the momentum of the fielding side. In hindsight, sometimes a gritty 40 might turn out to be the turning point and all these guys have shown they are capable of scoring that and more.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/harbhajan-singh-calls-wriddhiman-saha-best-wicketkeeper-world-wishing-birthday/" target="_blank">Harbhajan Singh calls Wriddhiman Saha best wicketkeeper in the world while wishing him on his birthday</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Weaknesses:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_91345" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91345" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91345"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-91345" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-of-England.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes of England vs Bangladesh" width="600" height="439" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91345" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Even though Indians start as overwhelming favorites, it is not as though they are without holes. The holes though are not glaring. Indians have not yet mastered the art of dominating spin. Part-timers have got wickets and India, on quite a few times, was saved by the lower order. So if England pacemen and Ben Stokes, in particular, can get the ball to reverse, they have the chance of blowing out the lower order.</p>
<p>The batsmen gifted their wickets to Moeen Ali in 2014. It will be interesting to see how they front up against him as well as Adil Rashid. Rashid, though not accurate, has shown he can bowl some wicket-taking ones amidst ordinary ones. Indian batsmen would do well to guard against complacency.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read &#8211; <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/ben-stokes-gives-a-cheeky-reply-to-shakib-al-hasan-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Ben Stokes gives a cheeky reply to Shakib Al Hasan on Twitter</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>
<h4><strong>Opportunities:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_91870" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-91870" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/11/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91870"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-91870 size-full" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="600" height="426" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-91870" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya</figcaption></figure>
<p>Fate has thrown a lifeline at Gautam Gambhir. If he can get on a decent run of scores, the selectors will find it hard to drop him when KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan return. Of late, he has modified his stance a little and if he can get through the initial jittery period, he will have the opportunity to show his batting prowess against spin bowling.</p>
<p>Hardik Pandya is one player who was not expected to be in the team. Kohli loves attacking with fast bowlers, even in Indian conditions and everyone is curious to see where Pandya fits in. If given a go, through his performances he has a chance to throw his hat in the ring for the all-rounder’s spot as a seaming all-rounder when India tour overseas.</p>
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<h4><strong>Threats:</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_77429" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-77429" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/07/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-77429"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-77429" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Alastair-Cook-2.jpg" alt="Alastair Cook" width="600" height="469" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-77429" class="wp-caption-text">Alastair Cook of England celebrates scoring a century. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Cook was unbreachable when he toured India in 2012. With his ability to play late, India will be happy to “cut the head of the snake” straightaway.</p>
<p>Root has grown in stature ever since his debut and is perhaps the most important wicket in the England line-up. As long as Root remains in the middle, English dressing-room will breathe easy.</p>
<p>Stokes has the ability to turn a match through his bowling as well as batting. He has shown in the past that he can be a dangerous player, Team India must always be wary of him.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, the Indian team has enough in the tank to overpower England, especially in Indian conditions. The time for talk is over and let the games begin!</p>
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SWOT Analysis of the Indian team for England Tests

Does the Indian team have the wherewithal to inflict wounds that will not heal for some time to come? We analyze here.

SWOT Analysis of the Indian team for England Tests

Threats:

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