Playing in England has always put forward new set of challenges for the Indian cricket team and although the results may not have been in their favor, the battles have been really interesting. The conditions in England are completely opposite to the flat dead pitches of sub-continent where batsmen are used to playing for long durations with little trouble. The pace and swing of English pitches require the batsmen to be technically sound and alert throughout their innings which has often been the deciding factor whenever the Indian team has toured England.

As Sourav Ganguly has stated many times, the true performance of the Indian team can only be gauged on how they perform outside India. Let us have a quick recap of the last four Test series involving India and England in England.

2014 England vs India ( Test 5 Ind 1 Eng 3 Draw 1): The series is famous for the struggles of Virat Kohli who could not manage to get going even for once during the five Tests. It was also the first times India played a five-match Test series in England since 1959. India started on a positive note though, drawing the first and managing to win the second Test thanks largely to the brilliance of Murali Vijay with the bat. But an inspired performance by James Anderson who claimed 25 wickets in the series meant India lost the next three matches to go down 1-3. Virat Kohli Can Dethrone Steve Smith As No 1 Ranked Test Batsman! But Bhuvneshwar Kumar Has Better Batting Record Than His Captain in England.

2011 England vs India ( Test 4 Ind 0 Eng 4): One of the most one-sided contests featuring India happened to be in 2011 with England completely outplaying the visitors in every department. The 4-0 drubbing of India also helped England reach the top of the Test ranking. Losing Zaheer Khan on the first day of the first Test was certainly a big blow for the Indians who never quite recovered from the loss of their main bowler. Rahul Dravid did score three centuries in the series but each match was characterised by catastrophic Indian battling collapses that mean England achieved a clean sweep.

2007 England vs India ( Test 3 Ind 1 Eng 0 Draw 2): Led by Rahul Dravid, India managed to defeat the English on their own backyard for the first time since 1986. In the first Test, bad weather played a key role in India saving the match when England looked destined for a big win. Zaheer Khan's nine-wicket scalp in the second Test helped India defeat England while the third Test was a high scoring draw most notable for Anil Kumble’s debut hundred. For his outstanding bowling performances, Zaheer Khan was named the man of the series. Five Facts You Need to Know Ahead of the IND vs ENG Test Series.

2002 England vs India ( Test 4 Ind 1 Eng 1 Draw 2): The two teams had a real go at each other throughout the series and it ended in with both sides winning a match each. While England did well to win the first Test at Lord’s. It was the turn of the visitors to get a win under their belt in Headingley in the third test with the holy trinity of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly amassing centuries. The fourth Test just like the second could not separate the two sides and that marked the end of a keenly contested four-match series.

India have just managed a single win in their last 9 test matches in England which is not something they would like to have in their minds going into the crucial Test series. But, the task at hand is of enormous proportion and one that will test Virat’s individual capabilities and leadership skills to the fullest. Standby for a thrill a minute ride in England.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 31, 2018 09:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).