3 tactics India might use to conquer tests in England

Test matches in England have always been a nightmare for subcontinent teams and India is no exception to that. Although India has thrice managed to win a test series in England, they have won just one out of their last 9 test matches there.

The last series win came in 2007 when an unusual opening pair of Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer gave good starts on a consistent basis. The middle order comprising of Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly also stayed true to their reputation. VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni also played some savior innings and India managed to get 56 wickets in 3 tests, bowling under the leadership of Player of the Series- Zaheer Khan.

This time around, India again has a very settled test squad. Most players have had a good amount of exposure of playing in the English conditions and there is an intense competition between the players to get into the playing eleven. With Virat Kohli's captaincy, one thing that can be expected is surprising experiments and "Horses for Courses" selections. Here are some of the tactics India might employ to come good against the English test team.

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#1. Playing with 3 openers

It's high time India gives Dhawan a proper run in the Tests

Swinging ball has been India's prime weakness and England's key weapon. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are undisputed experts of swing and in a favorable English condition, they can wreak havoc upon any side.

India's major concern would be Pujara's poor form as he failed to make an impact during his recent stint in the English county cricket. His record overseas does not justify his stature.

On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan is the kind of player India must have in the playing eleven. He is someone who can play aggressively and turn the tides within an hour into a test match. He is in good form, with a good ODI record in England. This time around, he would like to perform well in the test matches also.

India obviously cannot leave out their best openers- Murali Vijay and KL Rahul. In this scenario, India might opt for 3 openers in the squad, with Rahul batting at 3. In such a case, either Pandya or Pujara will have to sit out, but this would protect the middle order from a brand new Duke ball.

#2. Bounce them out

All the 3 Indian quicks are good at bowling bouncers

The last Indian victory in a test in England came when Ishant Sharma bounced the English team out. The English batsmen refused to play defensive against his bouncers and paid a heavy price. This time around, alongside Ishant Sharma, India has 2 genuine pacers who can bowl at 140+ kmph on a regular basis.

Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, both are skiddy customers with a good bouncer that can surprise any batsmen, especially when the English batsmen would be expecting them to bowl fuller lengths on swinging tracks.

India's all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, too has a capability to bowl decent bouncer and can complement the regular pacers if they decide to bombard the hosts with bouncers.

#3. Deploy the spin duo

The English batting line up hasn't often been exposed to quality spin

Kuldeep Yadav has proved his mettle in the tough English conditions during the limited over series. Apart from Cook and Root, not many in the English batting line up have a proven record of playing top quality spin bowling.

This would certainly tempt India to go with 2 of the best spinners going around in the world right now- Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav.Hardik Pandya's recent progress as a fast bowler means India can rely on him to be the third pacer, which further encourages them to try out this tactic.

Picking the variations of the Indian spinners will be a tough job. If Kuldeep and Ashwin can bowl a tight line, the English batsmen would certainly have to work hard to score their runs, which is something they are not really fond of.

What are the other possible strategies India could use to conquer this England test team? Let us know in the comments section.