By Sanjay Rajan
CHENNAI, India, Dec 9 - England meet in-form
India in the first test starting on Thursday with one eye still
on security following last month's attacks in Mumbai.
The touring side arrived on Monday from Abu Dhabi and 3000
police and soldiers will look after the players in the southern
Indian city after the test was switched from Ahmedabad.
The one-day series between the teams was cut short
following the attacks that killed at least 171 people in
India's financial capital and England returned home.
"It's been really important for world cricket that this
tour does go ahead, the players recognise that," England and
Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Hugh Morris told
the ECB website (www.ecb.co.uk).
England have brought a full-strength side but their
preparations have been far from ideal with the uncertainty over
the trip and weather conditions during the stay in Abu Dhabi.
The tourists were outclassed in the one-day series by
India, who won the first five games.
"It's about getting your skills ready to go as a batter or
a bowler. It's such a quick turnaround now, so the lads have
got to get themselves (together) really quickly if they are
going to be ready," coach Peter Moores told a news conference
last week.
Left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out of the
series with a side injury and has been replaced by uncapped
fast bowler Amjad Khan.
HAMSTRING PROBLEM
Fast bowler Stuart Broad is undergoing treatment for a
hamstring problem but is expected to be fit for the second
test.
England, inspired by an all-round effort from Andrew
Flintoff, staged a remarkable comeback for a series-levelling
212-run victory in the final test two years ago.
But India are in top form following their 2-0 test series
victory over Australia and England will need to come up with
something special to beat the hosts.
"If you win anything in India I think you are doing well,
particularly with the way they played in the one-dayers and the
way they played against Australia," Flintoff told the ECB
website.
The Indian team has a settled look despite the retirements
of leg-spinner Anil Kumble and batsman Saurav Ganguly but
senior batsman Rahul Dravid's form is a cause for concern.
Dravid, the key to India's batting for more than a decade,
has scored just 268 runs in his last seven tests.
In-form left-hander Yuvraj Singh is expected to fill
Ganguly's slot in the middle order after scoring back-to-back
centuries in the first two one-dayers against England.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)