The England V India test series is fascinatingly poised at 2-1 to the home side with two games left with India earing a fine win at Trent Bridge to make the final two games of big interest to all. In three games England have shown their full repertoire of looking like a top-class side to being totally outplayed on their home territory in the space of a few weeks. The first test was a classic with both sides playing outstanding cricket with England pipping it in on the final morning. England then had the idea conditions at Lords in the second but utilised them perfectly to hammer India and provoke talk of England whitewashing India with the visitors looking totally ill at ease against the moving ball.
As has been the case with England for a few years, the only thing they can be relied on with them is their inconsistency culminating in India producing a demolition job of England in the third test with the home side inexplicably losing all 10 wickets in a single session of play. Its not just the results themselves that has saw big fluctuation with England being talked of as having very big selection problems with players such as Curran and Woakes performing excellently and the returning Stokes causing a good selection headache but just one game later, massive speculation as to what side England should play in the fourth test with a misfiring top order not managing runs in the series and looking vulnerable throughout.
The big surprise in the third test was the Indians seamers trumping their English counterparts in what has always been the home sides strength in seaming and swinging bowling conditions. With Indian quicks managing to bowl at a quicker pace and extract more help from the surface. Its this factor which has been the biggest cause for excitement for India in the coming games and going forward for overseas tours with their lack of potency away from their spin attack that has held them back in recent years.
There is a feeling that the last match could well have seen a decisive shift in the momentum of the series and been a big psychological blow landed by India in not just the victory but the manner and style with which it was achieved.
Both sides have world class players in their line ups and excellent bowling line ups, especially in helpful conditions provided. They also have flawed batting line ups who are equally likely to blow up at any time. All of which has provided excellent if unpredictable cricket and two such volatile teams are sure to produce the same for the rest of the series.
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