Having missed out on Allen Stanford's Twenty20 millions in the Caribbean, Kevin Pietersen and his side will attempt to increase their wealth and standing within the game via a more acceptable medium in India over the coming weeks. England play the opening warm-up match of their seven one-day international and two-Test tour tomorrow in Mumbai, and there is plenty at stake.Should England return on Christmas Eve having won both series, Pietersen's reputation as captain will have moved up another notch. If they lose both, and judging by the quality of cricket India are currently playing against Australia there is a strong possibility of this happening, he will be given his first real test as leader.
The Test series does not start until 11 December so one-day cricket will be the focus for England's players for the next month. Pietersen will be hoping his team continue the form they displayed against South Africa at the end of the summer. The benefits of performing well in the one-dayers will go beyond the kudos of completing a rare overseas series victory. The seven matches offer England's players the perfect stage on which to impress the watching owners and coaches of the eight Indian Premier League franchises. England's top players have yet to feature in cricket's most lucrative tournament but several will undoubtedly be returning to India in April. The next four weeks may determine the size of their pay packet.
"India are playing great cricket at the moment and that means it will be a tough series, but we've been playing good cricket as well," said Pietersen (pictured below) yesterday. "We beat South Africa 4-0 and I think it would have been 5-0 if it hadn't rained in Cardiff, which is something we haven't done before. We're learning how to win and I think the boys are hungry to do well out here.
"Coming to India is tough and winning here is tougher as we learnt last time when we had a great draw in the Test series and then got smashed in the one-dayers. We need to improve on that."
The biggest dilemma facing England is the make-up and balance of the side. The return of Andrew Flintoff, and Pietersen's positive decision to bat him at six, gives them the option of picking five bowlers. But should the attack comprise of four seamers and a spinner, as it did against South Africa, or be three fast men and two spinners?
Flintoff and Stephen Harmison will be two of the first names on Pietersen's team-sheet and the captain will be hoping the fitness, enthusiasm and form the pair showed against South Africa continues. "Freddie missed something he loved for 18 months and that was very hard on him and he came back wanting to perform with a lot of fresh energy," Pietersen said. "We had a job to do getting Steve Harmison back into the team and we're just grateful he's back and playing the way he is. I want Steve to become the best bowler in the world in the next 12 months."
If Pietersen can keep the pair fit and enthused Sir Ian Botham's prediction of a comfortable Ashes victory next year may yet come true.
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