England in India

As international tours come they aren't more difficult than in India. With the humid pitches and unpredictable conditions combined with the boisterous home crowd it sit the most hostile test country to visit.

Players who can perform in India are some of the best around, as the conditions, especially for batsman can be very difficult. As England travel to India for the ODI series and the test match series they go knowing they are facing the in form side in world cricket.

India are set to complete a 1-0 test series win over Australia, unless the tourists can complete a massive 382 target to win. In one-day cricket India have always had the upper hand over England inflicting a 5-1 defeat on them the last time they visited. However England scrapped the series in England during the summer, winning 4-3.

The test series last summer went India's way and they are sure to be favorites for both forms of the game as England try to recover from the time-wasting Stamford Series last week.

For India the retirement of Sourav Ganguly is sure to leave a hole in the side and the middle order of India won't look as strong. However the highest test scorer of all time Sachin Tendulkar is always around and he loves playing against England, even if he hasn't been able to buy a century before his 40th against Australia.

Zaheer Khan is a crucial man for me. His bowling has come on so much in the last 18 months. In particular the Australian series has seen him shine, and in both forms of the game he will be a threat. He always performs against England, and as yet the England Batsman have yet to have any reply.

Kevin Pietersen has to step up as captain. His honeymoon period is over, and after a shock against South Africa he has to stand up and be counted. His personal form can never be called into question, but can he raise his team for his new sides most difficult challenge yet?

One good thing to see is the similarity between the sides picked for the ODI's and the test matches. There seems to be some coherency at last between both sides and players like Steve Harmisson, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad can perform on both stages.

England's ability to adapt and read the India pitches will be crucial to whether they can repeat the success of the last tour, when they battle to a 1-1 series draw.

Pietersen is under such pressure to succeed as captain on this tour something is bound to give, his form or the teams.

Now without getting to controversial, Pietersen strikes me as the sort of player that will put his own form before his teams, trying to carry them through and then considering the situation.

He's a brilliant player, but does he have the discipline to lead his side into battle in India, I'm not so sure. I was never in favor of his appointment in the first place but of all the countries in the world to prove himself against, this is the one.

I fancy England to get on better in the ODI's series than the test series, but to still lose both. England shouldn't be in to much despair if they do fair in both forms, they are playing a fine side, but the manner of their defeats will be interesting to see.