INDIAv ENGLAND Looking ahead to the Test and ODI series 2008 India will FIXTURES ODIs prove to be 1. Nov 14, Rajkot 2. Nov 17, Indore the making 3. Nov 20 Kanpur 4. Nov 23, Mangalore 5. Nov 26, Cuttack of skipper 6. Nov 29, Guwahati KP,says Lloyd 7. Nov 2, Delhi An Indian winter could be the making of England TESTS cricket captain Kevin Pietersen. 1. Dec 11-15, That’s the view of former England coach David Lloyd, who was impressed by the brilliant batsman’s Ahmedabad showing during the summer when he replaced Michael 2. Dec 19-23, Vaughan and Paul Collingwood as skipper of the Te st and One-Day International teams respectively. Mumbai KP took his team to aTest win in his only five-day game so far,and was then at the helm as England stormed to a4-0 ODI series win against the Proteas. But taking ateam to India –who have just beaten Australia –isamong the toughest challenges for any international captain, and that’s why Lloyd believes England fans will know more about Pietersen the skipper after the seven ODIs and two Te sts. Lloyd said: “Making him captain has been abrave decision and should be commended. “But he is not going to be judged as acaptain by winning the last Te st of ahome series that has already been lost. “He’s going to be judged at times when his bowlers are tired and they cannot get awicket. “When it is hot and Sachin Te ndulkar is 130 not out. That’s when the measure of him will show.” P2-3: Prior in for keeps? P4-7: The squads P8: Super Sach still scoring INSIDE FOLLOW ENGLAND’S TOUR OF INDIA AT ECB.CO.UK ENGLAND FEATURE ecb.co.uk Prior warning to The wheel will have come full circle in the past year for Matt Prior if –as expected –hedons the wicketkeeping gloves for England’s Te st tour of India. Although national selector Geoff Miller has insisted both Prior and TimAmbrose will start the trip on alevel pegging, it is anticipated that the former will regain his place 12 months after his previous appearance. Prior was axed at the end of the 1-0 defeat to Sri Lanka last December,but a summer’s rehabilitation with Sussex allowed him to fulfil his goal of awinter tour –after returning to the one-day side against South Africa. Now he hopes to prove to coach Peter Moores and captain Kevin Pietersen that England do have a wicketkeeper to compare averages 89. To keep improving is dropped chances, almost exclusively off with the best. the way forward for me. With the left-armer Ryan Sidebottom, were the “One of the things keeping, 80% of the time Ikept root of Prior’s problems in 2007. Mooresy actually said to really well, and Iwas really happy. So former England wicketkeeper Alec me, when Ispoketohim “I pretty much thought it was as Stewart’s technical pointers were after being left out, was that well as Icould keep and have kept required in pre-season 2008 and, with Ididn’t have to go back to the in my career. Unfortunately the the re-positioning of the slips, Prior’s drawing board and start all other 20% of the time Ilet confidence grew. over again,” said Prior. myself down horribly. “It was not until the end of Sri Lanka “I have aTest average of “Toget more that Irealised the problem was that Ihad just over 40 as akeeper and consistent with the either got to move wider or get my first you have to be pretty happy wicketkeeping is a slip closer to me,” he added. with that. key. Ihave to “Because Iamquite positive in the way “I saw astat recently makesure that Iplay cricket, Ialways try to get my first which Itook notice of: 80%, which is slip wider,thinking, ‘I’ll cover that’ and when Kumar Sangakkara not good sometimesIasked too much of myself. has the gloves he averages enough, is “When IspoketoAlec, we went to the 42 in Te st matches, 95-100.” A indoor school, lined some stumps up and without the gloves he clutch of he asked me where, ideally, my first slip would be. “He then did the same thing as if he was the keeper and his first slip always “One of the things Mooresy actually stood afoot tighter to him. “He showed me that you want to minimise your margin for error as much said to me, when Ispoke to him after as possible. “Asmuch as it being atechnical thing it might be because Iwas operating right being left out, was that Ididn’thave to on the tip. “Most of the catches Idropped hit me on the end of the fingertips. go back to the drawing board.” “I moved as well as Icould, and it says to me Ishouldn’t have been going for it.” 2–FOLLOWENGLAND’S TOUR OF INDIA AT ECB.CO.UK ecb.co.uk ENGLAND FEATURE England in India selectors OVERALL RECORD TESTS PLAYED: 49 WON: 11 LOST:13DRAWN:25 ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS BATTLE OF THE KEEPERS PLAYED: 29 WON: 13 LOST:16TIED: 0 Tim Ambrose Matt Prior RECENT TOURS 2006 Captains: Dravid (IND) Flintoff (ENG) TESTS ............India1England1Drawn 1 ODIs............................India 5England 1 2001/02 Captains: Ganguly (IND) Hussain (ENG) TESTS............India 1England 0Drawn 2 ODIs............................India 3England 3 1993 Captains:Azharuddin (IND) Gooch (ENG) BORN: 1/12/1982, BORN: 26/2/1982, Newcastle (Aus) Johannesburg(SA) TESTS........................India 3England 0 COUNTY:Warwickshire COUNTY: Sussex ODIs............................India 3England 3 HEIGHT: 5ft 7in HEIGHT: 5ft 11in TESTS: Played 10 TESTS: Played 10 1984/85 Runs 371, Ave24.73 Runs 562, Ave40.14 Captains: Gavaskar (IND) Gower (ENG) Catches 30 Stumpings 0 Catches 28 Stumpings 0 TESTS............India 1England 2Drawn 2 ODIs: Played 5 ODIs: Played 28 ODIs ............................India 1England 4 Runs 10, Ave2.5 Runs 590, Ave23.60 Catches 3Stumpings 0 Catches 37 Stumpings 3 Can England end Indianhoodoo? Forall England’s progress since By Sam Cornes match-winning displays to date have reincarnation as acredible cricketing come at home, not on the drier surfaces nation adecade ago, there remains one On the subcontinent, India are of Asia. unconquered opponent. imperious and no country other than the They will also be faced with a India represents the final frontier for a mighty Australia has defeated them in a formidable Indian batting line-up despite resurgence which began in ateam led Te st series on home soil since 2000. the retirement of Sourav Ganguly. by Nasser Hussain, was taken further by England shared the last series Fellow veterans Rahul Dravid, VVS Michael Vaughan’s victory-hungry group between the two countries, gaining a Laxman and Sachin Te ndulkar all have and is now in the hands of Kevin 1-1 draw despite an injury and illness something to prove as anew generation Pietersen. crisis striking hard. pressurise those in possession of the While Hussain directed series Ta king 20 wickets in Indian conditions top six places. victories in Pakistan and Sri Lanka is something which England have Although Te ndulkar’s career batting among his achievements as captain, and struggled to do on their previous three return against England is better than Vaughan preceded 2005 Ashes glory tours, so the pressure will be on Monty against any other major nation –he with history-altering away victories in Panesar to thrive in helpful conditions. averages 62.31 –hemustered only 83 West Indies and South Africa, there has While no-one can doubt he is runs in the draw on home soil some been no such result against the Indians. England’s most potent spin threat, his two-and-a-half years ago. FOLLOWENGLAND’S TOUR OF INDIA AT ECB.CO.UK –3 ENGLAND SQUAD ecb.co.uk TimAmbrose (26) To ok advantage of the axefalling on Matt Prior for last winter’s trip to New Zealand, but failed to build on amaiden KevinPietersen(28) Te st hundred there and looked alittle short of confidence England’s best batsman by the second half of now has the added the 2008 summer. responsibility of captaincy in all three forms of the game –but rather than it be aburden, he appears to have thrived on the added pressure. A James Anderson (26) century and avictory in his maiden Te st in charge Has enjoyed a at The Oval against South rejuvenation as an Africa –the country of his international bowler, birth –was followed by a overcoming some thumping 4-0 victory in self-doubt to prosper the one-day series. KP with 42 wickets in will hope to better his nine Te sts this year. relatively modest The talented productivity with the seamer’s ability to bat on the 2006 swing the ball is a India tour. vital component of England’s attack. Ian Bell (26) StuartBroad (22) Alastair Cook (23) One of afew With three half- Notchedseven Te st England players to centuries to his hundreds before his firmly establish name already,the 23rd birthday,afeat themselves in all Notts youngster bettered only by Sir formats of the game. promises to develop Donald Bradman and Bell is still striving into an international Sachin Te ndulkar, to hit important tons, all-rounder.Tall and including one on but his temperament capable of extracting debut in Nagpur.A has seen him bounce, he first technically-correct opening the innings caught the eye in left-hander,Cook in alimited-overs domestic limited- still looks at his best anchor role. overs cricket. in the Te st arena.