Series Preview: England Vs. India, 2016-17.

Series Preview: England's Tour of India, 2016-17.


With just a day away from the first Test of the series to be played at Rajkot, the excitement in the city is buzzing as it gears up to host it's first ever Test Match.
Certain players too, from both sides, would be looking to put in a string of strong performances. With that in mind, the crux of this preview will be to have a look at the players to watch out for;
1) Virat Kohli (IND)
Virat Kohli definitely has a point to prove against the Englishmen. Statistics say that Kohli has a measly average of 20 against England. Not just away tests, but this includes 7 home Tests. This surely speaks volumes about the fact that the English bowlers have figured Kohli out. Will be interesting to see if Kohli will carry on with his sublime form in this series or whether he will fall and succumb into the pressure of his past record against the same side. Though, the fact that Anderson has been sidelined from the first Test will definitely give Kohli a better sleep the night before the game.

 2) Ravindra Jadeja (IND)
Ravindra Jadeja happens to be one of the most impactful cricketers of modern day cricket. Be it with his electrifying fielding, aggressive batting or cunning leg spin, he is an absolute match winner. The fact that his batting has come good in recent times, will give the top order that much needed cushion. Also, Jadeja has a knack of taking those big wickets at the right times. Agreed, Ashwin has been the most instrumental in India's home wins, but let's not take away any credit from Jadeja. So often, Jadeja breaks that long partnership which then opens the floodgates for Ashwin to do his magic. The fact that the game is being played in Rajkot will give that extra bit of confidence to the already in form Jadeja.

 3) Alastair Cook (ENG)
The shot being played by Cook in the above photo pretty much signifies one of the main reasons of the success for England on the Indian soil. To score runs in India(pretty much the entire sub-continent), one must play the sweep shot to perfection. And if sweeping is an art, then Alastair Cook is the Picasso of it. One of the few foreign batsman on Indian soil who has tackled the spinners with utmost ease. Matthew Hayden was another such batsman. It's safe to say that England's hopes depend pretty much on how Cook performs. Cook did not get many runs in Bangladesh, so it will be really interesting to see whether he can put that behind and repeat the massacre of 2012 which he launched in India.

 4) Stuart Broad (ENG)
Stuart Broad has been an instrumental figure in the England Team for quite a long time now. One of the few existing bowlers who has the knack of changing games in just a matter of one session. We all remember that beautiful spell against Australia in the 2015 Ashes, where he absolutely tore apart the entire Aussie batting order, single handedly. True, conditions will not favor him in this part of the world, but those short spells of reverse swing against Bangladesh were deadly and can prove to be a very critical factor in this series. Yes, England will miss James Anderson, but Stuart Broad has the potential to make up for 'Jimmy's' absence, and probably do even more than that.

 The reason I didn't mention the English spinners is because I simply do not see them as much of a threat to the Indian batsmen. Adil Rashid is highly inconsistent and Moeen Ali can be really expensive at times too. England's best bet in the bowling department lies in the hands of their quicks, definitely.

 With that, I would like to conclude the first piece of my extensive coverage of this exciting series to be played between two absolutely phenomenal sides of the modern era.
Stay tuned for more upcoming content!

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