Watching England play New Zealand recently was, frankly, a disappointing experience. For a nation once revered as the undisputed home of cricket, England’s current plight reflects a worrying decline in standards. There was a time when playing county cricket in England was considered the ultimate finishing school for cricketers across the world. International stars from India, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies flocked there to fine-tune their techniques, improve their temperament and master different conditions.
In many ways, England’s county system enjoyed a reputation that often overshadowed the national team itself.
Today, however, that aura appears to be fading.
England’s bowling attack, barring a couple of promising youngsters, looked ordinary and lacked the bite traditionally associated with English cricket. There was little consistency, poor support from fielders and insufficient pressure from bowlers operating at the opposite end.
One positive, however, was the emergence of England’s young fast bowlers. The likes of Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue have shown encouraging signs in recent months. Their ability to generate pace, movement and aggression offers England a glimpse of hope for the future. Atkinson, in particular, has displayed an impressive ability to extract bounce and trouble batters with disciplined spells. Yet, even these talented youngsters require sustained support from the rest of the bowling unit and sharper fielding standards.
Cricket, after all, remains a collective effort.
Observing England’s struggles only strengthens my belief that India’s upcoming three-match ODI tour of England presents a tremendous opportunity. Contrary to popular apprehensions surrounding English conditions, I am confident Indian batters will adapt and perform exceedingly well.
Indian selectors have also appeared to strike a sensible balance. The squad blends experience with youth, retaining proven performers such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli while integrating younger players who displayed immense hunger and consistency during the recently concluded IPL 2026 season.
Modern Indian cricket has evolved significantly. Gone are the days when overseas conditions automatically placed Indian batsmen under pressure. Today’s players are professionals who have learnt to adjust to varying conditions around the globe.
I do not doubt that India’s batsmen will not only enjoy the English tour but also seize the opportunity to demonstrate their versatility and mental strength.
Another area that excites me is India’s spin department.
I have repeatedly written about Washington Sundar, perhaps one of India’s most under-utilised all-rounders. In my view, he should have graduated to senior international cricket immediately after his India Under-19 days. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball makes him an invaluable asset, especially in the one-day format.
Turn and bounce remain the two greatest weapons for a spinner. Add a well-disguised away-going delivery, and a spinner becomes even more dangerous.
This brings back memories from my own playing days with the Hyderabad Ranji team. I vividly remember being asked by the legendary Erapalli Prasanna to observe and provide feedback during a training session. It was during the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup, then considered one of the country’s most prestigious tournaments, when he was playing for the U-Foam team led by another legendary cricketer, ML Jaisimha. Needless to say, Jai and Prasanna were very close friends.
After my batting session during a practice, I vividly remember Prasanna calling me to stand at the bowling end and watch him bowl a newly developed weapon he intended to use against the visiting Australian team. It was a deceptive delivery that, after pitching, moved away from the batsman. He wanted my feedback on whether the ball was indeed moving away sufficiently to deceive the batsman.
Trust me, for reasons best known to Pras — as we all affectionately called him — he chose me to observe the delivery and tell him whether it was genuinely moving beyond the batsman’s reach. I gave him my honest feedback and was deeply impressed by the way the ball behaved after pitching.
To my surprise, however, he did not use that delivery during the Moin-ud-Dowlah tournament matches. Perhaps he was right. That particular variation was being reserved for the visiting Australian team and not meant to be unveiled in domestic cricket.
As he had promised, and as he had earlier told me, he had been practising that delivery for nearly two years. It eventually stunned the Australian batsman Doug Walters, who came down the track only to be completely deceived by what the ball did after pitching. That rare ability to spin the ball away from the batsman through deceptive flight and subtle variations belonged only to the legendary Prasanna.
It was a masterclass in the art of spin bowling, particularly in that Test match at Chepauk. During the latter half of an innings, the ball tends to grip both the fingers and the surface better, making quality spin bowling even more effective.
India fortunately possesses some of that variety even today. I see glimpses of that quality in Washington Sundar, who had impressed me with both bat and ball while playing for the India Under-19 team. Hopefully, he will showcase his class again against England in the upcoming ODI series.
With Jasprit Bumrah returning to spearhead the pace attack, India gains a world-class weapon capable of dismantling any batting line-up. The spin department, led by Kuldeep Yadav and supported by Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, provides excellent balance.
On paper, India appears a complete unit.
England, meanwhile, finds itself at a crossroads. While a few exciting young fast bowlers offer reasons for optimism, rebuilding a once-feared cricketing powerhouse will require patience and structural improvement.
For India, this tour is more than just another bilateral assignment. It is an opportunity to underline a larger message, that too before the upcoming World Cup next year — that modern Indian cricket can adapt, compete and dominate in any conditions across the world.
Best wishes to Team India. The stage is set to prove once again why Indian cricket has become one of the most formidable forces in world cricket.
