There are waves of positive energy flowing through the media from the English camp in advance of the Indian series.

We should not be surprised I guess, and expect anything else.

I do however feel (and this could very well come back to haunt me) that England are going to fair better in India than they did against Pakistan. There seems to be some real intent to win in India, whereas the Pakistan tour reeked of the stale champagne leftover from the Ashes campaign.

A key ingredient for England in India will be the form of Simon Jones.

England won’t win a test series in India with the crop of spinners they are but they could win with an attack that sees the resurgence of the finest pair of reverse swingers in town in Jones and Flintoff.