LONDON (AP) _ England faces its first serious Test challenge
since its disastrous Ashes defence when it starts the first of three
matches against India on Thursday.
While England's one-day form has remained poor, the Test team
rebounded from the completion of a 5-0 loss to Australia in January
by winning its recent four-Test series against an inexperienced and
demoralized West Indies team 3-0.
But only middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul seriously
troubled England's bowlers then and things are sure to be different
against an India lineup featuring the likes of Sachin Tendulkar,
captain Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
India could even replace England at No. 2 in the Test rankings
with a 3-0 series win.
Tendulkar heads into the first Test at Lord's in search of one of
the few personal milestones he's yet to achieve _ a Test century at
the home of cricket.
``This is a ground where all the batters dream of getting a
hundred and I'm no different,'' Tendulkar said.
At age 34, Tendulkar is probably on his last tour to England, so
the first Test is likely to be his final chance to get his name
inscribed on Lord's famous Honors Board.
``The previous tour to England was in 2002, now it is 2007, so it
might be that 2011 or 2012 could be the next time we're here and
that would take a special effort,'' Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar, nicknamed ``The Little Master,'' has 10,922 runs in
137 Tests to occupy fourth place on the list of all-time scorers,
and has a leading 37 hundreds.
His top score at Lord's in five Test innings was 31 in 1996, but
he heads into the match having scored a century in each of India's
two Test wins over Bangladesh in May.
Ganguly is also in good form, averaging 46 in five innings since
returning to Test cricket in December.
``When I came back in South Africa, I felt I was tougher even
than when I was playing my best cricket,'' Ganguly said.
Ganguly has an impressive record in England, hitting a century on
debut in 1996 and averages 111 from six Tests in the country.
No. 3 Dravid has also hit three centuries in England.
The home side will take on India without pace bowler Steve
Harmison, who had hernia surgery Tuesday and will be out for as long
as six weeks.
The second Test starts July 27 in Nottingham, and the third Test
Aug. 9 at The Oval, so Harmison is out for the entire series.
Matthew Hoggard is in doubt for the first Test due to a back
injury. Hoggard is the most experienced of England's bowlers with
240 wickets in 64 Tests.
Should Hoggard be ruled out, England is likely field a seam
attack of Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad with either James
Anderson or Chris Tremlett. Broad and Tremlett are both yet to play
a Test.
Sidebottom, a swing bowler, impressed against West Indies in May
and June after getting a call-up six years after his first Test.
``I put him in a similar bracket to the experienced players even
though he has not got as much Test-match experience,'' Moores said
of Sidebottom. ``He is a mature exponent of what he does.''
The spinning option will come from Monty Panesar _ who claimed
Tendulkar as his first Test wicket in last year's 1-1 series draw in
India.
England is still without all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is
recovering from an ankle injury. But England played West Indies
without Flintoff and six different players scored centuries.
Kevin Pietersen hit a career-best 226 in May's second Test to
help beat West Indies by an innings and 283 runs _ its worst ever
Test defeat in terms of runs.
``We have little choice in many ways and you've got to work with
what you've got,'' England coach Peter Moores said.
India omitted spinner Harbhajan Singh, but Ganguly expects
left-arm fast medium bowler Zaheer Khan and fast-medium
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to make an impact alongside veteran Anil
Kumble.
