Fast Men Hold Key For Virat Revenge Mission

You sense something special is imminent for India, but we’ve been down this road before. They are ranked No.1 for Tests but a frustrating inability to consistently win overseas ensures some critics scoff at their lofty standing.

During a pivotal upcoming period, India can stamp themselves as clearly the best team in the world with breakthrough series victories in England and Australia. Long criticised for having a soft underbelly in foreign conditions, India have won just three series in the UK and embarrassingly lost seven of nine Tests in 2011 and 2014.

Even worse, they have never won a Test series Down Under but a golden opportunity awaits with Australia still reeling after the ball-tampering scandal and without the suspended trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

India should feel like they can overcome their hoodoos in succession and on sheer talent deserve the favouritism tag against a fragile England and weakened Australia. However, undoubtedly, it is hard to ignore the ghosts of past failures which continue to haunt the Indian team.

India’s powerful batting has continually struggled on the seaming decks in England and the bouncy Australian pitches, but their current line-up looks settled and well-rounded. Ominously, a determined Virat Kohli is primed to make amends for a horrid 2014 tour here – a career nadir for the master batsman – and the anticipation is that he will dominate the series even though he must overcome the nemesis that is James Anderson.

As always, India boasts dangerous spinners in veterans Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, along with left-arm wrist sensation Kuldeep Yadav – and turn could come into play due to the warmer weather in the UK.