India look to disrupt England's pattern

The third Test at Headingley this week will give India the chance to start living up to their top-of-the-bill reputations.

Time, though, is running out. To date, there has only been one side in the four-match series against England and it has not been Sourav Ganguly's.

England captain Nasser Hussain has continued with his diplomatic line -- "people seem to forget this is a very talented Indian side" -- but even he has probably not forgotten Sunil Gavaskar's jibes when the two teams met in India earlier in the year.

Former India opening batsman Gavaskar, a lesser diplomat, had branded Hussain's side one of the most boring he had ever had the misfortune to watch.

During this reverse series, though, Hussain might be tempted to think, India have not exactly been enthralling themselves.

With high hopes of a rare away series victory, the touring side crashed to a 170-run defeat in the first match and only salvaged a draw at Trent Bridge thanks to a Rahul Dravid final-day century and some fireworks from Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly.

For all that England, shorn of a string of top-name players, have made nearly all the running.

Despite Gavaskar's comments it is the home side, improving by the game, which has scored faster and more heavily while at the crease and taken more wickets while fielding.

They have been ambitiously pro-active, while India have let the game come to them.

RESULT PITCH

They will not be able to be so lethargic from Thursday onwards. As Ganguly pointed out: "Headingley is a result-pitch." A pitch perfect for salvaging a series or for letting it go.

England, with the towering Andrew Caddick reinstalled at the head of the attack alongside seamer Matthew Hoggard, will certainly fancy their chances at one of their happier hunting grounds in recent years.

Caddick, set to make his first appearance of the series after recovering from a side strain, took a liking to Leeds two years ago when England crushed the West Indies inside two days.

In the second innings he took five for 14 off just over 11 overs, including four extraordinary wickets in an over, as West Indies were laid waste for 61.

Last year, there was also a result when Mark Butcher produced the innings of his life, a 173 not out, in an improbable overturning of the Australians.

And in 1998 England had won again against South Africa, after Butcher got another century and Darren Gough -- now battling for his future after a string of knee operations -- took nine wickets in the match.

Traditionally, Headingley has helped swing bowlers. This season, however, in conditions more akin to baking Bombay than the cloudy north of England, others have prospered, prompting England to keep left-arm spinner Ashley Giles firmly in their plans despite his omission from the second test.

The last thing India will want, indeed, is a traditional Headingley. Their left-arm fast bowlers, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan, have been the major disappointment of the tour to date. Hoggard and Caddick would seem better placed to exploit the conditions if the ball begins to swing.

Ganguly, however, who pointed the finger squarely at his bowlers after Trent Bridge, also needs Harbhajan Singh, supported by Anil Kumble if need be, to perform to his world-class status.

The off-spinner could only manage three for 175 in the second Test. He has, however, since found some rhythm, taking seven for 83 in the county game against Essex.

India's batsmen, despite their sterling efforts in keeping them in the series at Trent Bridge, must also carry some of the blame for the team's colourless show.

NO PRESSURE

They simply have not exerted any pressure on their opponents.

In the first Test at Lord's, India were dismissed for 221, in the second for 357. They were chasing both games from that point.

India need to score big, quick runs early -- Shiv Sundar Das made a case for inclusion ahead of Wasim Jaffer by scoring a double century against Essex -- then hit England with some big, quick wickets.

The hosts have got used to having it easy while batting this summer, passing 500 almost at will, with Michael Vaughan's confidence in particular growing as fast as his Test average, which hurdled the 40-run threshold after his 197 at Trent Bridge.

India must disrupt that pattern and confidence if they are to succeed in upsetting a side which, with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff struggling with a groin problem, Craig White sidelined and Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe and Gough still absent, should be vulnerable.

If India fail to change tempo, Headingley will surely turn into the wrong kind of result pitch and cost them yet another overseas series.

It might even cost them a few sharp criticisms from the sharp-tongued Gavaskar.

Squads:

England - Michael Vaughan, Robert Key, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain (captain), John Crawley, Alec Stewart, Andrew Flintoff, Alex Tudor, Andrew Caddick, Ashely Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Dominic Cork, Steve Harmison.

India - Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Ajit Agarkar, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Shiv Sundar Das, Anil Kumble, Ajay Ratra, Tinu Yohannan, Dinesh Mongia.

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