THE FITNESS CIRCLE: Sachin Tendulkar works out with a ring, as Virender Sehwag, S. Sreesanth and Anil Kumble await their turn. — Photo: S. Subramanium

Nagpur: For England, blighted by injury and dogged by ill luck, the three-Test series that begins at the VCA Stadium here on Wednesday has taken on the macabre appeal of a boat cruise gone slightly wrong, with flesh-hungry piranhas in wait.

Stripped to the bone, with the top-tier leadership (Vaughan and Trescothick) and the bowler touted as the `one who could' (Jones, the reverse-swinger) out of the reckoning, the tourists take on a side that, in Tests, hasn't quite matched the strides taken in the abridged format.

Led by the astute Rahul Dravid, India has been criticised of not having the bowlers to scuttle out good batting sides twice on unhelpful tracks. In India, however, few line-ups have survived the wrecking ball Anil Kumble (six short of 500 wickets) has wrought. The odds on England are roughly the same as a yeti being spotted in spandex.

Caution, the watchword

Dravid, though, chose caution over braggadocio. After a session in which India's cricketers wriggled through coloured hoops and stretched with chairs as props before hitting the pace and spin nets, the Indian skipper said, "Well, people call it a weakness against spin, just as Indian batsmen are supposed to not play pace. It's a bit of a cliche really.

"They played well against spin last time, in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, when they were here and they've done well in the sub-continent. We do have two quality spinners in Anil and Harbhajan, but I don't think just any spinner can come and take a wicket."

Both teams refused to name their XI till the morning of the match, though Dravid said "there is a good opportunity one or two (newcomers) will get a chance." Indications are that S. Sreesanth, who showed an ability to vary his angles and length, will open the bowling with Irfan Pathan.

The sameness in alignment and pace of the left-armers in Pakistan could go against the impressive R.P. Singh who was Man of the Match on Test debut.

Double bluff?

There is also talk of India playing five bowlers with the 17-year-old leg-spinner Piyush Chawla getting a look in. He batted last in the nets though. And Dravid was typically oblique — the strategist he's proven to be, it could well be the old double bluff: "He's an exciting prospect. We have experienced spinners and it's not always easy playing three spinners. He's a long-term option and this is an opportunity for him to gain expertise and experience."

Wasim Jaffer will open with Virender Sehwag and the lone middle-order spot up for grabs will go to either Suresh Raina, the current `it boy,' or Mohammed Kaif, his Uttar Pradesh skipper and Test bridesmaid. Yuvraj Singh, who swung a sublime bat in Pakistan, is recovering well and his re-entry, if he regains fitness in time for the second Test, will be harsh on whichever U.P. lad is chosen.

The pitch, Dravid said, looked dry and "could take spin early." England coach Duncan Fletcher averred: "there's a very good chance we'll play two spinners." First-time captain Andrew Flintoff has to pull his weight for England to resist India. As a bowler, he will need to switch between attack and back-of-length defence, and, without Jones, bowl long spells. His tactical nous is untested and the shrewdest of cricketing minds have, in the past, sputtered in India.

Height factor

The late start will rob England's bowlers of any little assistance they may have sought. Taller and stronger than his Indian counterparts, Steve Harmison can be expected to extract disconcerting lift at speeds of over 90 mph. He has to strike early and strike more than once. Jaffer's half-cock off-drive may mesh fatally with Hoggard's outswing, but it's hard to see this England attack, unaided by wanton and mindless batting, dismissing India cheaply.

In the batting stakes, Pietersen can be counted on for some thrilling, almost feckless moments; left-handed opener Alastair Cook will likely make his debut.

The cloistral pressure of those under helmets allied to Kumble's unrelenting grip and Harbhajan's wiles, however, should prove too tough for men who don't have the defensive skills to force a draw.

The teams (from):

India: Rahul Dravid (capt.), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Suresh Raina, Mohammed Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, S. Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla and V.R.V. Singh.

England: Andrew Flintoff (capt.), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Ian Blackwell, Monty Panesar, Shaun Udal, Owais Shah and Matt Prior.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Ian Howell (South Africa); Third umpire: I. Sivaram (India); Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12.40 to 2.40 p.m. and 3 p.m. till close.

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