England’s formidable line-up can do well in India: Andy Flower

Andy Flower

He was among the key plotters of England's historic 2012 Test triumph in India and former coach Andy Flower sees no reason why an encore is not possible this year as he believes the visitors have enough "formidable players" to challenge the upbeat hosts.

Flower, a former Zimbabwe captain and one of England's most successful coaches in recent history, didn't want to get into predictions but cited India's remarkable Test conquest of Australia to assert the point that visitors are no longer underdogs in the longest format.

"India won the T20I series, the Melbourne and Brisbane Tests and a Test series a couple of years ago in Australia, which goes to show that there are ample opportunities for visiting squads to make a mark," Flower said.

"The nature of cricket has changed, as both batsmen and bowlers have become more athletic, backed by an aggressive outlook," he added.

Asked to pick a favourite for the four-Test series, Flower declined. "It would be premature to declare the direction in which the fortunes of any team would swing. However, the English side has a formidable combination of players who can set themselves into comfortable or winning situations," Flower said.