Skipper Rahul Dravid on Saturday said India's seasoned batsmen need to 'fire' for the team to clinch its first series win in England in 20 years on the upcoming tour.
BANGALORE: Skipper Rahul Dravid on Saturday said India's seasoned batsmen need to 'fire' for the team to clinch its first series win in England in 20 years on the upcoming tour.
"The key is to get some of our batsmen firing. If our experienced batsmen we can put runs on the board then it gives our bowlers time and a chance to get 20 wickets. And in our bowlers remaining fit," Dravid said on the concluding day of the team's training camp at the National Cricket Academy here.
"We have got experience in batting, Sachin (Tendulkar), myself, Sourav (Ganguly), (VVS) Laxman. There are a lot of senior batsmen. If younger guys have doubts they have support to fall back on," he said.
The last time Indian won a series in England was in 1986 when Kapil Dev's side beat the hosts 2-0 in a three-Test rubber.
The 34-year-old middle order batsman believed that the squad had the wherewithal to succeed in England.
"Obviously England play well at home and the only team they have lost recently is Australia. But we have got the players to do well in England in the later part of the English summer," he said.
"We have got the experience in batting, boys who have gone and done well in England which is very important.
"We have got a good and young pace bowling attack which hopefully should fire. We also have an experienced spinner in Anil (Kumble)."
India visit England for three Tests and seven ODIs between July 7 and September 8.
The series is preceded by a visit to Ireland, where they play three one-dayers against South Africa and another against the hosts (June 23-July 1) and Scotland, for a one-off ODI against Pakistan (July 3).
Dravid took confidence from the team's good performance on the Test arena in the recent series.
"Our Test performance has not been that bad with a series win in the West Indies after a long time and our first Test win in South Africa," he said.
"We have played good Test cricket for the last 15-16 months. I still think we can get better though."
Dravid also saw a big role for Laxman who did not get a chance to be in the playing eleven in Bangladesh as the team chose to go in with a five-bowler attack.
"It's never easy to drop anyone, senior or junior, and Laxman especially has been such a proven performer and such a good player. We expect big things from him in England. I am sure he will be given the opportunities", he said.
Elaborating further he said that whether the team fields five bowlers or only four depended on the particular game and conditions and in Bangladesh five bowlers were picked because of the hot conditions.
"Whatever combinations we pick are specific to that particular game and to that particular country. The reason why we played five bowlers was because of the conditions. It was hot out there and not easy to the bowlers," he said.
He felt that the conditions in England could lead the team to include an extra batsman.
"The conditions might be different in England. You have to play to your strength," Dravid said.
"I have always said from the start of my captaincy that in an ideal scenario I would love to be able to play five bowlers. But that requires a bowling all-rounder.
"If that situation is not there you have to compromise, drop a batsman or a bowler depending on the conditions."
Admitting that the bowling attack lacked experience, Dravid said that it was also a talented one with a lot of youngsters for whom the tour would be a big learning curve.
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