Thaindian News

London, May 26 (IANS) Former England all-rounder Ian Botham says India have still to prove their World No.1 Test ranking by winning overseas tours and the Test series against England will be a test for them.

Botham feels that England are the best Test team in the world given their recent record and they should dominate at home this summer against Sri Lanka and India.

“India are currently ‘ranked’ No.1 in the world and they got there by playing some decent cricket, mainly at home.

“But when you consider that they have only beaten Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last six away trips, then you realise that they have got a bit to prove to people this summer,” Botham wrote in his column in Mirror Thursday.

England will prove it beyond doubt this summer that they are the best in world cricket, says Botham.

England, who are currently ranked third behind India and South Africa, will play three Tests against Sri Lanka starting Thursday and then face India from July 21.

“Forget the rankings designed by men with computers who believe that logarithms can tell us who is playing the best cricket more accurately than we can see with our eyes. Look at what you are watching and make your own minds up.

“England are unbeaten in seven series with six of them ending in victory for Andrew Strauss’s side, and the pinnacle of these was the magnificent Ashes campaign last winter. That sealed it for me. Not just because it was the Ashes — and winning them in Australia is notoriously difficult — but because they did it so comprehensively and in such style.”

Botham said that it takes something special to win Down Under. “It takes a rare gem of a side to do it with three innings defeats and leave the Australians floundering around looking for someone to blame before turning on each other.”

“I expect to see them build on that and dominate the global game for the next few years and more.”

Botham said the good thing about this England team is their age and their experience. “They have nearly all played enough Test cricket to be considered old pros, yet most of them are still so young.

“Only Strauss and Graeme Swann are over 30 and I can see the England skipper continuing to lead the side into the next Ashes series that arrives in 2013 and beyond. Between now and then, the target is sustained world supremacy.”

The prolific all-rounder said the series against Sri lanka will be a ‘tester’ for England before the ‘heavyweight’ contest against India.

Botham said Sri Lanka will throw a tough challenge.

“Anybody thinking that they will be a pushover now that their dependable wicket-taking machine (Muttiah Muralitharan) has retired should think again.

“They will still have bowlers who will take wickets on their day and when it comes to their batting line-up they have two class acts in Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who are good enough to take any bowling attack apart.

“But having seen what our bowlers are capable of this winter, I expect them to come out on top again in Cardiff, London and Southampton.”