Reluctant England face winter of discontent

England's hopes of success in their three-test tour of India are being written off even before the squad reaches passport control.

Nasser Hussain's side made history in the 2000-1 season with shock away series wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

But, with at least five key players still unsure over whether they will set off next month -- spinners Ashley Giles and Robert Croft among them - no one either in England or in India is expecting a repeat.

Left-arm spinner Giles, who like his team mates is concerned about security in India following the military action in Afghanistan, was England's key man in Pakistan last year, taking 17 wickets at 24 runs apiece.

It was the first English success in Pakistan for 38 years.

Off-spinner Croft then teamed up with him in Sri Lanka and the pair took 16 wickets between them as England fought back to win 2-1.

A similar historic success in India, however, began to look increasingly unlikely after England crashed back to earth with a 4-1 home defeat to world champions Australia this year.

Significantly, even Steve Waugh's men could not escape defeat in India last year.

WITHOUT SPIN

Worse still, if Giles and Croft opt out, England will find themselves without a tested spin attack in a country where slow bowlers reign supreme.

Without left-handed batsmen Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher, who are also considering their positions -- as well as the retired Michael Atherton -- Hussain's team could also find itself shorn of its current top three batsmen.

Reluctant all-rounder Craig White, meanwhile, could rob the line-up of balance and if Andy Caddick also decides to stay at home with his young family -- with Darren Gough already taking a winter's rest alongside Alec Stewart -- the touring side will not even have a first-choice pace attack to paper over the other gaping cracks.

The Times newspaper at the weekend was unequivocal about the team's chances in a country where England have not won for 16 years and where they were whitewashed 3-0 in the tests in 1992-3.

"The formbook suggests that a comfortable victory for India...is the likely outcome," it said.

"That must be so even if the reluctant five do go. If they do not, England will lose the series for sure."

'ENGLAND ALWAYS LOSE'

That view has already been expressed in India.

Former test medium-pacer Atul Wassan suggested: "England are always reluctant about coming to India since they don't enjoy playing here and always lose.

"They are making a mountain out of a molehill."

Molehill or not, the unnerved England squad will have the additional, not insignificant problem of keeping their eyes fully on the ball whenever a firecracker goes off among India's joyous, noisy, cricket-mad crowds.

And then there are a few other problems.

Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, for instance, with 276 test wickets, makes his way back after a year out with shoulder problems.

At the other end will be off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, 'The Turbanator' who took an extraordinary 32 wickets in three tests against the Australians at 17 apiece.

Throw into the mix Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and captain Saurav Ganguly, three of the world's leading batsmen, as well as Vangipurappu Laxman, who hit an Indian test record of 281 against Australia, and the scale of England's task becomes fully apparent. More mountain than molehill.

At least there is the one-day series to look forward to in January.

Or perhaps not.

Until they beat a wretched Zimbabwe side 5-0 recently, England had lost their last 11 one-dayers in a row.

Mail Cricket Editor