Five reasons why India will win at Lord's
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Here are the five reasons why India will take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series by winning the first Test at Lord's that starts on Thursday.
Star sparkle: After witnessing a second-string team limp to victory against West Indies in the Caribbean, the Indian fan will be glad to see the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan in the playing eleven. The Men in Blue will be boosted by the calm influence of Gambhir at the top of the order, along with the god-like presence of Sachin Tendulkar to bring clarity among chaos in the middle-order, something the Indians sorely missed in their Caribbean voyage.
Bid goodbye with a bang: This England tour might be the last hurrah for the old guard of Indian cricket. For the likes of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and most possibly Zaheer Khan, this English tour might be the last chance to play at iconic grounds like Lord's, The Oval, Old Trafford and Chester-le-Street. That surely will bring the added desire to perform to bring honours to the Indian team. While Sachin and Co. have gained plaudits under testing conditions, it is now time for the likes of Gambhir and Mukund to prove that the exodus of these superstars from the team will be taken care of in the near future.
Pace partners: Zaheer Khan finally has a dependable partner to share the reins of India's bowling attack against the English. During the 2007-08 tour, an erratic Sreesanth and a deflated RP Singh only backed Zak up to hold the other end, while Zaheer did produce wondrous spells. Meanwhile in the West Indies, the absence of Zaheer saw the Ishant Sharma of old back to life. With the same bite and sting in his deliveries in the Windies tour, India's answer to Chris Tremlett might just be from the wiry pacer.
Rahul Dravid: The name is enough. Whenever and wherever India has been in a spot of bother, The Wall has been quick to salvage the team's respect with innings that have gone down in history as the best and the most determined ever. Whether be it braving hostile conditions in Headingley with Sanjay Bangar to lay the foundation of an Indian win or a fluent century at Trent Bridge to assure a draw, 'Jammy' has been a vital part of both modes of Indian batting, consolidating or attacking. Whether you have see out the day or build a demoralising partnership and construct a well-thought out victory, Dravid is the go-to man for India.
Top spot tussle: When Duncan Fletcher joined the Indian ranks, and saw the English tour calendar, he really did not have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to motivate his new crew, because the drive was already there. The fact that the two teams could change places at the end of the Test series goes a long way in determining what these players will be playing for. The series will not only determine who the better team is but will also show it in the ICC Test rankings. And well from the fans' point of view the drawn match is also a point which the world champions need to prove.
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