Opinion: Why England and not India are the strongest contenders for the World Cup

With the World Cup just around the corner, there is a lot of talk about who is the main contender for the most coveted prize in world cricket. Based on the current form, almost every expert has tipped England and India to challenge for the World Cup crown.

Now, the debate is which one among these two cricketing giants is favorite to win. Though both these sides are outstanding limited overs setups, England look a little stronger in comparison to India on certain parameters.

Let us take a look at a few of those parameters.

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#1 England have a settled side

England have a settled combination whereas India are still experimenting with their side. India have an exceptional top order, but their middle order leaves a lot to be desired. The English middle order is comparatively a lot more settled. On the other hand, the same cannot be said about India.

The likes of Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik and even MS Dhoni (due to ongoing debates about whether Rishabh Pant should be in the squad), are all battling it out for their spots ahead of the event.

As a settled side is the hallmark of a champion unit, India will surely have their task cut out. Meanwhile, the English middle order has quality, depth and consistency. Moreover, their middle order forms the core of the team.

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#2 England have a stronger middle order

They have a far more settled middle-order, but they also have a better one.

Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler form a formidable middle order. All of them have the ability to play attacking as well as conservative cricket. Each one of them can take the attack to the opposition and dismantle bowling attacks, while they also can steady an innings and spend valuable time in the middle.

The Indian middle order on the contrary, is not a proven entity under English conditions. Moreover, whenever the team wins, it's their top three who do the job. Most of the times, either the middle order fails, or it remains untested.

Yes, MS Dhoni has picked up form at the right time, but the others are a bunch of inexperienced professionals at the international level.

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#3 The home advantage plus batting depth

England are playing under home conditions, which of course, is a big advantage. The last two World Cups have been won by host nations.

The Three Lions have a lot of seam bowling all-rounders like Stokes, David Willey and Chris Woakes in their squad, which is a luxury in English conditions as not only can they add depth to the batting line-up, but also generate swing and express pace.

It would be a difficult proposition to go past this English side in their home conditions. Though India have some high-quality fast bowling at their disposal, their lower order batting looks weak, which makes them vulnerable in case of a top order collapse.