THE REALITY CHECK – The Broader Perspective India coasted to an easy win against Bangladesh while England notched an uneasy win over the Netherlands. Ryan ten Doeschate put England bowlers to sword in their first game and if James Anderson and Stuart Broad do not get their act together, they are in for a real tough time against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. England looked off colour against the Dutch and will need to improve their game big time if they are to do well against India in front of a partisan Bangalore crowd.
India have an excellent batting line up and England bowlers will have to produce something special on a good batting surface. England batsmen will be tested by the Indian spinners and there is every chance that India will bring in leggie Piyush Chawla to replace Sreesanth given England’s vulnerability against spin.
India heaved a sigh of relief with the news that Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh were cleared to play after scares. Sehwag was in blistering form against Bangladesh However, England may target Sehwag’s rib cage where he was hit in the nets on Thursday and is suspect to short, incoming deliveries. India have good depth in their batting which will certainly come in handy.
India’s only concern will be whether to play an extra spinner or not. England need to be sharp with the ball otherwise they would be slaughtered by Indian batsmen. England’s top order with Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott need to stand firm and deliver.
Form Guide: England have a poor ODI record in India. In the last bilateral series between the two in 2008, India blanked England out 5-0. England also lost their recent ODI series in Australia so the form isn’t with the England side. It rained heavily in Bangalore on Friday night but the weather is expected to be clear on Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss will be first choice for captains from both sides. Watch Out For: Virender Sehwag is a swashbuckling opener. scored 175 against Bangladesh. Jonathan Trott is a technically correct batsman and is the one who grafts his innings rather than go bang bang.
Who Wins: Indians will be the firm favourites and playing at home gives them a big plus. If England are to come good they will have to bowl well and keep Indian batsmen in check.
