Twenty20 / Editor / 20 June 2007 /

England swept aside West Indies with expected ease and now look forward to the arrival of India. Rahul Dravid's men will provide a tougher test as England seek to prove that they have put their horror tour of Australia behind them.

A 3-0 series win suggests England totally outclassed West Indies, but the gulf in class was as much a reflection of the tourists' weaknesses as it was an endorsement of an English recovery. The Caribbean outfit have now lost 32 of their 44 overseas Test matches and must rely on Twenty20 and One-Day series to salvage some pride.

India have had their own reputation of being a soft touch away from home, although they have recently begun to overturn that trend. Since drawing their last series in England in 2002, they have won 10, lost seven and drawn eight of their away Tests.

A drawn series in Australia in 2003/04 proves India can perform in unfamiliar conditions, but their record in England marks it out as their least favourite touring destination. Forty five Tests have brought just four wins, but they have at least been more difficult to beat recently, drawing 60 percent of their Tests in England since 1979.

Consistency does remain a problem, as they have recently lost in Pakistan and South Africa, but won in West Indies and Bangladesh. Regardless of form and previous visits, as the fourth ranked team in the world, India are better equipped than the West Indians to expose England's weaknesses.

Despite facing an attack missing Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard, the tourists were unable to post competitive totals. Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett's waywardness in the first three Tests went unpunished and the powerful Indian batting line-up is likely to be far more ruthless.

Much was made of West Indies missing Brian Lara, but they suddenly look even more reliant on Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The 104-Test veteran passed 50 in each of his five innings in the series and finished with an average of 148.7. His absence from the Headingley Test coincided with the tourists' worst batting display, when they were bowled out for an aggregate total of 247 in their worst ever innings defeat.

In contrast to West Indies' dependence on one batsman, England's batting unit was in fine form. Only Andrew Strauss struggled, hitting 168 runs at an average of 24. He secured his place for the start of the India series with a battling half century at Durham, although he will remain under pressure as Flintoff nears a return to fitness.

The rest of England's top seven all averaged above 45 and hit at least one ton each. The batting line-up looks settled and remains England's strength, especially since Matt Prior's introduction as a belligerent counter-attacking number seven.

Michael Vaughan's purple patch of 2002/03 began with a home series against India, when he hit three tons and averaged over 100. It has been a triumphant return to the Test arena for Vaughan, who is now free to concentrate on Test marches having relinquished the One Day captaincy.

Vaughan has answered those who questioned his immediate return to the Test team in the best possible way, with three wins out of three and 251 runs at average of 62.75. He is now England's most successful ever captain.

If England's batting is in good order ahead of the India series, questions remain over the bowling. The inability to bowl out the tourists at Lord's, albeit partly due to Hoggard's injury, was worrying, although the attack has improved steadily throughout the series.

Ryan Sidebottom (16 wickets at 19.68) gives encouragement to county players that national selection is not reserved for those in favour with the management, although the selectors' faith in Harmison was eventually rewarded at the Riverside, where he bowled his best spell of the series and gave notice that he might once more become the bowling attack's spearhead.

In taking 16 wickets at 34.25 against West Indies Harmison got enough overs under his belt to recover the rhythm that has been missing for some time. A routine hernia operation should enable him to increase his pace, although its timing has yet to be decided. The Durham man has played India just once in England, taking five wickets at a cost of 24.

England have relied heavily on Monty Panesar so far this summer and he will go into the India series joint sixth in the world rankings (with the fit-again Hoggard). Twenty three wickets at 18.69 against West Indies means the left-arm spinner will face India, who traditionally play spin well, high on confidence. He burst onto the Test scene against India last winter, claiming the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar as his first.

Like England, India's strongest suit remains their batting. Although they have an inexperienced opening pair in Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer (Virender Sehwag has been dropped after his prolonged spell of poor form), the middle order of Dravid, Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly all know how to score runs in England.

They have played 22 Tests between them in England, hitting 10 tons and 10 half centuries. Each has an average in excess of 70 and their experience of the conditions will be crucial to the team's success over the three match series.

The bowling, in contrast, is extremely inexperienced. Harbajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan all miss out, placing great pressure on Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan. They are joined by Ishant Sharma, Ranadeb Bose, RP Singh and Sri Sreesanth, who have played just 13 Tests between them.

Both sides are commencing new eras in the One Day format after disappointing World Cup campaigns, with plenty of new faces, and in England's case, a new captain. India warm up for the Test series and seven match ODI series with a tour of Ireland - where they face Ireland, South Africa and Pakistan.

India will travel without a coach after Graham Ford refused their offer to take charge, and as a team in transition will face a touch test against an England team that has not lost a home series since 2001. India trade at 3.5 to win the Test series, with the hosts available at 2.08. The draw is available at 3.5.

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