With a series equaliser for India and a series win for England standing at an equal distance, both teams have just one option -- to come out all guns blazing in Wednesday's sixth one-dayer at The Oval.
A series that appeared to have lost its competitive edge has suddenly flickered to life with India winning the Headingley one-dayer to claw back to 2-3.
With a series equaliser for India and a series win for England standing at an equal distance, both teams have just one option -- to come out all guns blazing in Wednesday’s sixth one-dayer at The Oval.
A few days ago, England proudly wore the favourites’ tag, but India's Headingley win has emphatically erased any advantage the home side had enjoyed. Rahul Dravid and his men, however, cannot afford to relax one bit as any slip-up in this crucial game will push them them to the point of no-return.
The sense of urgency was palpable in the Indian camp when they engaged in rigorous practice in fielding, catching -- the most notable grey areas in the NatWest series -- and other areas.
India have come up with some intense performances with both bat and ball, but they have not been able to stitch them together on a consistent basis. The most glaring example came in the fourth one-dayer. India had almost reached the winning post in Manchester, before losing the plot to Ravi Bopara and Stuart Broad.
But the Indians will not have to face Bopara again as the all-rounder has been ruled out of the series and the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup with a crack on his thumb suffered during the Headingley game.
The visitors do not have any noticeable injury scare at the moment, and that should help them piece together a consistent performance here. How far they will be able to accomplish that task will have a major say in their fortunes.
Main strength
India's main strength is their batting, and it will not be entirely out of order to opt to bat first if the toss goes their way. Both of India’s wins have come when they batted first and posted totals in excess of 320 on each occasion.
Batting first gives the Indian batsmen the chance to bat with a free mind -- without the tension of chasing targets -- and if they can amass a substantial score, that will boost the confidence of the bowlers as well. It is also time for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to come good with the bat as he had a modest series so far. His world record-equalling performance behind the stumps in the last match should have boosted his confidence.
Toiling hard
The bowlers, toiling for nearly three months from Belfast, have dug deep into their reservoir in the last few matches. They have never flinched from their given tasks under various conditions and asked tough questions of the English batsmen constantly.
With just two matches to go, they will have to pull up their socks and give another couple of manful performances over the next four days, with the immediate priority being Wednesday’s match.
England are still awaiting news on star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. The Lancastrian had suffered an irritation on his left ankle and did not play the previous game. His absence had somewhat unsettled the team combination, and his replacement Jon Lewis was well below par with the ball.
A fitness test will be conducted on Flintoff on match morning before a final decision is taken. Wright, meanwhile, is almost certain to play. The Sussex youngster had showcased his prowess with the bat in the England Lions’ match against India in Northampton, when he smashed a 40-ball 56 against a full strength Indian attack. With the forecast indicating clear weather, the stage is set for a mouth-watering clash.
England: Paul Collingwood (capt), Ian Bell, James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Alistair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Jon Lewis, Chris Tremlett.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Mark Benson. Third umpire: Nigel Llong. Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka).
