On the eve of the hugely anticipated Test series against India, England batsman Ian Bell tells Sam Stow about the challenges posed by the Indian bowling attack and his determination to topple India from the top of the Test tree.
Having starred during England’s Ashes triumph Down Under, Ian Bell has continued to impress this season, scoring two hundreds in the series victory over Sri Lanka.
But, having faced a fairly docile Sri Lankan bowling attack in the first half of the summer, the Warwickshire man is expecting the world’s top ranked Test nation to be a tougher proposition, especially if conditions favour the seamers and play into the hands of the wily left-armer Zaheer Khan.
“Last time India were here I think Zaheer Khan was probably the outstanding bowler of the series,” Bell told AOC. “He swung the ball both ways, bowled left-arm over and left-arm round and was very hard to deal with. Hopefully we can play him better this time around but we know that in English conditions he’s a world-class bowler.”
Having had his feet up during India’s recent tour of the Caribbean, Zaheer will be well rested and relishing the opportunity to make his mark on the series in favourable conditions, sharing the new ball with the rejuvenated Ishant Sharma.
Meanwhile, offspinner Harbhajan Singh will be buoyed having taken his 400th Test wicket in Dominica a fortnight ago and his battle with Graeme Swann is likely to prove one of the key battles in the series.
The third Indian seamer spot is up for grabs and Bell says his former Warwickshire teammate Sreesanth is the man for the job. “Sreesanth, who I know quite well, can bowl very well in these conditions because he swings the ball and is the kind of cricketer who makes things happen. He can bowl you a couple of four-balls but also a couple of wicket-taking balls too, and he’s quite an aggressive character on the field.”
England will replace India at the top of the Test rankings if they can win the series by two clear matches and, while Andrew Strauss maintains that is a long-term goal, Bell concedes the extra incentive is spurring the team on as they try to avenge their home series defeat in 2007.
“It is something that we’ve been challenged to achieve by Andy Flower as a team,” says Bell. “In the past we’ve won big series like the Ashes and then tailed off a little bit but we’ve got a massive goal in trying to achieve the number one ranking and you can only do that by being consistent and winning all the time.
“It’s going to be a big series and it’ll have an Ashes series feel to it. India are ranked number one, they’re there to be knocked off but we’ll have to play well to do it.”
Ian Bell will play in this summer’s Test series against India with the adidas Incurza bat, designed for the more aggressive, forceful player. For stockists call 0870 240 4204.
