England vs India 2018: 4 big expectations that the Indian team has failed to fulfil

#3 Getting past the lower order

Sam Curran proved to be a thorn in the flesh for India in the first Test

The Indian bowlers were expected to make the early inroads count by restricting the opposition to paltry scores. Sadly, that was not the case to be.

While 2011 and 2014 saw Stuart Broad and James Anderson frustrate India with their gritty batting, the latest series has witnessed young Sam Curran and Chris Woakes deliver deathly blows to the Indians.

Sam Curran's gutsy knocks in both the innings of the first Test proved to play major roles in deciding the fate of the game. In fact, it was his timely half-century in the second innings that swung the game in England's favour. The southpaw also made a handy 40 in England's only innings in the second Test.

Bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes, who filled in the place of Ben Stokes, succeeded in taking the game away from India. Woakes, who forged a formidable partnership with Jonny Bairstow, registered his maiden Test ton as he blew India's chances out of the equation.