SWOT analysis of England squad for the India vs England Test series

The India Tour of England is significant in a number of aspects. The five-match Test series is poised as the stepping stone for India to kickstart a new era in the longer format. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have marked their exits as a new and relatively raw team, led by Shubman Gill, stands at the fore. However, the India vs England Test series is as crucial for the hosts as it is for the visitors. Australia and South Africa will set up the third edition of the WTC Final. In the three marquee events held so far, England, the host nation for the ICC event, is yet to earn a qualification. With Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes still in charge of the English men in the longer format, the start of the new WTC Cycle brings yet another chance for Bazball to prove its worth.

A look at the England squad for the India vs England Test series

The India vs England Test series will be a testing ground for the newly-minted Indian side to gauge its abilities without the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. A new leader gets to announce his arrival as opportunities lie for the likes of Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan to claim a spot in the Test setup. England, meanwhile, are fated to deal with injury-marred absences. While the batting order of the hosts looks lethal with an in-form Joe Root leading the charge, the bowling order seems fairly inexperienced. Moreover, Ben Stokes and Co. were handed a blow as Gus Atkinson was ruled out of the England squad for the first India vs England Test at Headingley.

Strength

The strength of this England squad lies majorly, if not entirely, in the batting order. The top four of the team have showcased their top form recently. The top three, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope, dismantled the touring Zimbabwe side recently in the one-off Test. While India clearly poses a threat bigger than Zimbabwe, the batters would still sit in comfortable rhythm with the home conditions favoring the host. Moreover, the order only deepens with the likes of Joe Root and Harry Brook.

Joe Root is swiftly moving ahead in his quest to become one of the most prolific batters of this generation. Root has already accumulated over 13,000 runs in the format, threatening to dethrone Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in the format. While India, with Jasprit Bumrah in their arsenal, have the ability to hold off the batter, Joe Root, in his current form, holds the key to England's success in the upcoming series.

Weakness

England has been forced to deal with multiple injury-marred absences for the first India vs England Test series. Gus Atkinson is still tending to a hamstring injury and has been ruled out of the first Test. The pace order has faced further blows with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Olly Stone also sidelined for the match against India. The England pace order now relies on Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse to form the attack against India. While Woakes is a reliable pick, the pace lineup seems inexperienced, with England weighing among the likes of Josh Tongue and Sam Cook to fortify the lineup.

Opportunity

The India vs England series provides a significant opportunity for the next-gen of English cricketers to take over. Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Smith have positioned themselves as reliable prospects to carry the team forward. The positioning, however, is yet to be backed up by results. It is yet to be seen if England can make space for the young Jacob Bethell to join the Playing XI against India in the first Test. However, with Brook guaranteed a spot, the middle-order batter has the opportunity to showcase his consistency and defy the struggles against the Indian arsenal.

Threat

What once emerged as the element needed to revive Test cricket has fallen flat on its face. Bazball, an aggressive approach designed by the coach-captain duo of McCullum and Stokes, is yet to lead England to a substantial spot in Test cricket. If England keeps at it against India, there's a chance for the approach to be proven hollow yet again. The touring Indians might be relatively raw, but they still hold the experience of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, both of whom have proved their mirth in England. Already dealing with a hampered bowling lineup, England needs to stay cautious against the Indian order.