England chase whitewash, India need arrogance

England celebrated accomplishment No. 1 in the world with a good night in Birmingham on Sunday but it was soon backing to the day job and, four days later, they previously face the first test of their new status. The 'dead rubber syndrome' is always a risk when a team has scaled such heights to secure a major goal and Andrew Strauss will be anxious that nothing takes the gloss off the achievement of the last month.

In truth it will take a lot to remove the after-glow of three commanding performance, but this England team is never satisfied. They'll see this final Test at The Oval as a chance to lay down one more markers with a show of hunger and desire. Even the great Australian sides under Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh had issue with keeping strength high when a series was decided. England benefit with a number of one-off Test victories and won't want to offer India a similar opportunity.

It's difficult to see India lively back to save face over the next five days. They have been so far off the pace that this is a series they'll want to relegate to history as quickly as likely. That, although, will be easier said than done with the fall-out well under way back at home and serious questions being asked of the team. Some of those questions are more sensible than others, but a number of players will be heading back with damaged reputation.

The much-vaunted batting line-up has one more chance to live up to their billing having not reached 300 in the series. The wait goes on for Sachin Tendulkar's 100th hundred, while Gautam Gambhir has dissatisfied and VVS Laxman hasn't made the most of some decent form. Then there's the challenge of taking 20 wickets. The pace bowlers have all had their moments but, collectively, have not been able to maintain pressure on England.

Praveen Kumar has been a tireless workhorse and Ishant Sharma has kept running in, but they have suffered from not having an inexpensive spinner to tie up an end. If Oval history is anything to go by they could be in for more hard toil.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (c) (wk), 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Praveen Kumar/RP Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Sreesanth

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Dhoni : Batsmen want to come good performance

"We've faced many good sides like South Africa and Australia. So I would keep my judgement (if this is the best side). But England are a very good side, they have four bowlers who are really good and very settled. They also bat deep," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said it was important that his team kept its perspective and looked at the future rather than press on the panic button.

"A few things in cricket are beyond control. We made the most of whatever resources we had. It's important to look at the future, not to panic. We've been outplayed, whatever the reasons might be, but we need to look into the bright future we have," he said.

He would not commit if pacer Praveen Kumar has recovered from the right thumb injury he suffered during the Edgbaston Test.

Praveen, meanwhile, turned up at the nets and bowled alongside Ishant Sharma on Wednesday; raising hopes of the Indian team that he may be available for the final test.

R P Singh and Munaf Patel came on to bowl late and did not go flat out. Significantly, Sreesanth wasn't seen or bowled at the nets. But as usual, there was no word from the team management.

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Pietersen double outshine Praveen's five

India 17 for 0 follow England 474 for 8 decl. (Pietersen 202*, Prior 71, Praveen 5-106) by 457 runs

Kevin Pietersen describe his innings as a "mission" after his 202 not out put the hosts in a talented position after the second day.

Pietersen survive a few scares en route to his 18th Test century, and once he passed the 200 mark captain Andrew Strauss affirmed, with England on 474 for eight and India's openers batted from side to side to the close on 17 without loss.

Pietersen told Sky Sports: "It was quite nice from 150 to 200, but to get there was an undertaking. It was just great to bat with the other lads. I found it quite hard and a couple of the other boys came in and scored quickly and that took the force off me.

"It is always nice to get the team into a position where we can optimistically do something in this Test match. I haven't had the best couple of years, I had a pretty good winter but there are a lot of players in that dressing room that are doing really well."

Praveen Kumar took his first international five-for as he replace the wounded Zaheer Khan as the tourists' forefront seamer, removing both Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad for ducks and Pietersen could have been out early on when he was caught by Rahul Dravid.

Umpire Billy Bowden gave the 31-year-old out, but the television official upturned the decision and Pietersen was happy with the result and the position the team now find themselves in.

"He (Dravid) thought it was out and you have to use the technology - there was a really good impression out there," he said.

"We are in a real good position here to do something in this Test match. I wouldn't say pressure, but you always have to score runs.

"No one ever takes anything for granted and this is a huge series and a huge, huge Test match and those are games that I love and the things that I thrive on."

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Praveen Kumar relish Lord's dream

Praveen Kumar was a happy man after claim five wickets against England on the second day of the first Test at Lord's.

Asked to plug the gap twisted by the absence of hurt seamer Zaheer Khan, the inspiring Praveen took 5 for 106 to share Friday's attention with England's Kevin Pietersen who recorded an unbeaten 202.

"It's a dream to get five wickets at Lord's. It is very special," he told The Times of India.

"The weather was nice and it felt really nice to get the five wickets. After taking four I was very sure of getting the fifth."

"I didn't mind bowling that many overs since I do bowl 30-35 overs in domestic cricket. In Zaheer's absence, I had to shoulder that liability.

With little support from his fellow bowlers, Praveen, who only made his Test debut for India on their recent tour of the West Indies, accounted for Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad to ensure a marked turnaround in fortunes from Thursday when he finished wicketless.

"I bowled the same as I had on the first day. But since it was an older ball, I did try to put in extra effort."

Praveen's heroics come after he miss the ICC Cricket World Cup due to injury, not that the 24-year-old

"If you lose anywhere, God makes it up in some other way," he said.

"I can only work hard and play cricket. I missed the World Cup due to injury but this might have happened with any athlete," Praveen finished.

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Ishant Sharma well fit for third Test against Windies

Indian pace lead Ishant Sharma is set to play the final cricket Test against the West Indies starting on Wednesday in spite of carrying the after belongings of a rear-ender with team-mate Praveen Kumar on his face.

Ishant largely stand aside during the only carry out session ahead of the decisive Test at Windsor Park on Tuesday, giving rise to conjecture that he may not be fit sufficient to bowl.

That speculation was soon put to rest when Ishant sent down delivery at full speed to Rahul Dravid in the nets.

Ishant was hit below his left eye by a leap Praveen in a football session on Monday. It left a deep bruise around his eye.

Ishant carried a band-aid over his wound during the session but there is no worry on him missing out the final Test.

Meanwhile, it almost looks sure that Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli, two young Indian batsmen who have been ineffective in the two Tests, would get another conservatory in the final game.

Parthiv Patel and Subramaniam Badrinath, two options careful in place of Vijay and Kohli by expert, didn't even get to bat in the net session, put an end to all speculation on their inclusion.

Munaf Patel, who missed the first two Tests due to a prod injury, bowled at full tilt at batsmen and is almost sure to replace Abhimanyu Mithun in the playing eleven.

India is likely to go with three seamers and a spinner for the Test. India is presently leading 1-0 in the three-Test series.

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