Indians fared not much better in the return series in the winter of 2013, losing 1-2 at home. Dhoni and his 'young brigade' are back in England for a rare five-Test series that gets under way at Trent Bridge, in Nottingham, on July 9.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who will be commentating on the series, reckons it will be a fascinating contest between bat and ball and expects Dhoni's boys to turn the tables on England this time around.
Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Given the recent dip in form of both teams, how do you see the five-Test series panning out?
The teams look evenly matched on paper and I expect the series to be anything but one-sided this time. In my book, this is India's best chance of beating England in England in a Test series which we haven't done since 2007.
What has changed between 2011, when England had whitewashed India 4-0, and now?
England are clearly no longer the side they were in 2011. They have lost key players like Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott. After the unexpected retirement of off-spinner Swann last year, England are yet to find a quality spinner. That is surely an area of concern for skipper Alastair Cook. It could have a huge bearing on the upcoming s series.
With Cook out of form, would you say England's batting too looks suspect?
Cook is too good a player to be written off after a poor series, or two. He will bounce back. They also have Ian Bell, who has always scored big against India. Then there is Joe Root, who is a fine young batsman. Moeen Ali too has been impressive.
Haven't India too lost big players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman through retirements?
True, but India have a string of good young batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan, who have done well in Test cricket. India may be a bit short on experience, but this could a big series for our youngsters to announce their arrival on the big stage. In bowling, too, India have good balance as we have a better spin attack than England.
Isn't it a matter of concern that barring Dhoni, Gambhir and Ishant none of the others have played in England before?
True, but these kids have played recently in New Zealand, where the conditions are similar to those in England, and also in South Africa where pitches have more bounce and carry. They are quality players and I expect them to come good. It's a matter of making small adjustments which, I am sure, will be made.
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