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Historic win to boost England

Alastair Cook led England from the front scoring three hundreds to set up a Series win for England

Alastair Cook led England from the front scoring three hundreds to set up a Series win for England

England will enter an important 2013 with renewed confidence and belief following a historic come-from-behind victory in India.

Alastair Cook’s team went into the four Test series with a reputation as poor players of spin bowling. England were whitewashed 5-0 in a one-day series in India last year before beginning 2012 with a 3-0 Test defeat by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

A second Test victory in a drawn series in Sri Lanka in April suggested England had turned a corner. A rare home reverse against South Africa, however, followed that in the summer, leaving many experts fearing the worst in India, a side always heavily tipped by punters in the online cricket betting markets.

Andrew Strauss stepped down as captain in the aftermath of his side’s latest setback, with Cook tasked with leading England to their first series win in India in 27 years.

The opener’s mission was far from an easy one. As well as turning around England’s fortunes on spinning tracks, he had to oversee Kevin Pietersen’s ‘reintegration’ and find himself a new partner at the top of the order.

Somerset batsman Nick Compton joined Pietersen in the team for the opener in Ahmedabad but neither player could do anything to prevent India from taking a 1-0 lead with a nine-wicket win.

Cook hit 176 in the second innings and that knock proved a defining moment in the series. It showed his team-mates it was possible to play on sub-continental pitches and they never looked back.

The batsmen posted scores of over 400 in Mumbai and Kolkata to back up impressive bowling displays having lost the toss on each occasion. Cook again led the way with the bat, supported by Pietersen and the ever-consistent Matt Prior, while James Anderson and spin twins Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar ran through a vulnerable Indian batting line-up.

A hard-earned draw on a docile pitch in the final Test in Nagpur completed a remarkable 2-1 series victory for Cook and his men.

All of England’s key players produced at different stages of the tour and they will look to carry that momentum into back-to-back Ashes series. Before Australia, England face New Zealand home and away.

Stuart Broad and Steven Finn will return to bolster an excellent bowling attack, while exciting young batsmen Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow will become mainstays of the Test side. The future looks rosy for England under Cook.