The showdown in England

It is not myopia and England really is just round the corner. The showcase Test series of the year between India and England appears further due to the engrossing present itinerary of the sports world. Wimbledon has London busy and the Test series in West Indies is keeping India occupied for now.
The third and the last Test in the West Indies gets over on the 10th of July and a sharp turn would bring the Indian team to Taunton, where they would play a three-day warm up game against Somerset before the first Test at Lord's on the 21st of the month.As the contest draws nearer both sides are playing it cautiously and no one has undermined the fact that it could go either way.
England has made a strong statement by rooting for the Decision Review System (DRS) that can be seen as the home side's confidence in going for it fair and square. India's approach is baffling to say the least. Losing a series deservingly is justice; but losing it if you could have won it had key decisions not gone against you is heartbreak for the fans of either side. It's too important a series to allow howlers any legitimate chance.
England is playing extremely-well with the well-organised Jonathan Trott as their vital number three and opener Alastair Cook in superlative form. A resurrected Ian Bell flanked by Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, and Matt Prior in the middle gives their batting solidity and the form of Andrew Strauss is the only concern for the home side as lack of runs is bound to affect his leadership.
The English bowling is sharp and penetrating with the leader of the attack James Anderson possessing pace and the ability to swing the ball late. The tall and well-built Chris Tremlett can be more than handful as Sri Lanka recently discovered. In Broad, Finn, and Bresnan England have a decent back-up in order to pick the third bowler.
The off-spinner Graeme Swann has been the talking point of the English summer and he completes the host's probing attack. Swann is a world-class spinner and great for the game but I doubt that India is fretting as much over him as the British media seems to suggest. The great Shane Warne could pick only one five-wicket haul against India in his entire Test career and that too in an innings where India took a substantial first innings lead. The Chennai game in 2004 was in the balance when rain ruined the fifth day's play with India needing 210 to win with all 10 wickets in hand. India is one of those sides that play spinners extremely well but Warne's record belies the fact that they too can be vulnerable to spin.
Murali has a decent record against India and Mendis created havoc in that one series that looking back seems like 'The Nightmare in Sri Lanka' that is still haunting India as far as the DRS is concerned. It's never too late to do the right thing and India must appreciate that Sri Lanka did not win the series because of DRS and though they used it better the crucial factor was our inability to pick Mendis.
Michael Clarke has an enviable record against India having taken six wickets for nine runs in Mumbai in 2004 and then bowling Australia to victory in a dramatic finish in the 2008 New Year's Test in Sydney by picking three wickets in an over with just minutes of play left in the Test. That Sydney Test should give India enough reason to accept the DRS as apart from being a flashpoint that threatened cricketing relations between India and Australia the Test was also marred by a series of umpiring blunders.
England is confident at home but in India they receive a team armed with the knowledge that they can breach the fort, having done well to come from behind in South Africa against a more potent fast bowling attack. The spot for the sixth batsman is a pleasant headache for the selectors and it would be interesting to see what Dhoni would get and how he would pick his man given the conditions.
Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Parthiv Patel should be in the reckoning. We'll know on the second of July who all make it. The bowling unit of India cannot afford a single non-performing or injured bowler in the XI and helpful conditions should make our seamers happy.
A fit Zaheer Khan for four Tests accompanied by Ishant Sharma, who seems to have overcome his dip in form after the initial surge, could work for India with Sreesanth being the weapon when it swings. Praveen Kumar may get a look in so Dhoni would have some sort of choice while picking the final three. If he has runs to play with Harbhajan can make life difficult and wickets that provide seam movement also respond to a spinner who knows how to get turn. Harbhajan is the type of spinner who can operate even if there is little turn provided the wicket has bounce. Can India afford two spinners in the XI and play Amit Mishra? And would they do it at the cost of a fast bowler or sacrifice the sixth batsman and have Harbhajan at number seven? A high-risk gamble but worthy to at least think about.
Last time under Dravid India won the series in England that would have actually been a 1-1 draw if DRS was being used as Sreesanth would have lost his wicket and India the match at Lord's. In Australia, India would have had a good chance of winning in Sydney and with their win in Perth they would have secured a record first series win in Australia.
Perth onwards India has surged as a team and has been brilliant and consistent. They should be more-worried that an avoidable umpiring howler could spoil their chances in a massive series.
Is there someone who can convince a board that finds it hard to see the interest of its own team and broadly that of the sport it controls?