Wilson on Wednesday

IT is easy to jump on the bandwagon that regularly knocks English cricket.

After losing the first test against India, the critics were quick to run down the efforts of the tourists.

Although we are probably heading for a series defeat, England's performances have so far given grounds for much optimism.

Even with a full strength team, playing India on their home soil is probably the toughest test in cricket.

Australia were beaten last winter by the Indians and the daddy of the world game, Steve Waugh, still rates winning a series in India as the prize he seeks most.

For England to take them on without their two best bowlers (Gough and Caddick), their three most experienced batsmen (Stewart, Thorpe and Atherton) and their regular wicketkeeper (Stewart) has made the current tour an expedition of Everest proportions.

On paper England are inferior in almost every department. The middle order of Hussain, Vaughan, Ramprakash and Flintoff can hardly be compared to Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman.

It is also fair to say that most batsmen would rather face the spin twins of Dawson and Giles than Singh and Kumble.

Despite all of this, England have acquitted themselves very well. Trescothick, Butcher, Hussain, Vaughan and White have all scored runs, while Dawson, Giles, Hoggard and Flintoff have performed admirably in difficult bowling conditions.

Mark Ramprakash has also been utterly reliable with scores of 20 or 30 before feebly wilting under the pressure.

But why England continue to recall Ram-prakash remains as bigger mystery as the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden.

Leaving aside the occasional lapses in selection, the biggest plus has been the captaincy of Nasser Hussain.

Hussain does not have a single player in his team who would get close to a World XI, but he works brilliantly with the tools at his disposal. His man-management skills are inspirational and he is tactically astute.

England have made huge strides forward in the last two years and the wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka were genuine triumphs.

Hussain's leadership is on a completely different plane to the largely lack-lustre and one-dimensional stewardship of his predecessors Graham Gooch, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart.

Unlike his opposite number Sourav Ganguly, he clearly has the total respect and confidence of his players.

Whatever happens in the final test, this tour of India has been a success.

But if England can sneak a victory in Bangalore this week, it would be Hussain's greatest achievement to date as England captain.