Winter worries

When David Graveney and his fellow wise men sit down over Christmas and the New Year they will have more than festive turkey to digest.

Graveney and Fletcher have plenty to think about

England's selectors need to sift through the debris of a disappointing tour of Pakistan and identify men they think can succeed in similar conditions in India.

Graveney and his colleagues can justifiably say that one Test series defeat after six successive wins, including the Ashes, is hardly reason for wholesale changes.

But there are areas of concern that cannot be brushed aside if England are to avoid more pain in the three Tests and seven one-dayers on the second leg of their sub-continent journey.

PREPARATION

Problem:

The number of warm-up matches at the start of tour.

Captain Michael Vaughan and coach Duncan Fletcher insist two three-day games worked in the West Indies and South Africa - and the results back them up.

But conditions are far more alien to English players in the sub-continent.

England played well on the first four days of the Multan Test in Pakistan but a lack of patience - which comes with plenty of practice on drier wickets - proved their downfall when they collapsed on day five.

Solution:

The ECB has already agreed a short build-up for the first Test in Nagpur.

That means the likes of Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen and Ashley Giles - who will all be coming back from injury - will have six days of cricket to get ready for a Test against the team ranked number two in the world.

The tourists will simply have to draw on the lessons they learned in Pakistan and hope they do better second time around.

BATTING

Problems:

Andrew Strauss looked ill at ease in Pakistan, despite an innings of 94 in the first one-dayer.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were unconvincing at times against leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, and skipper Michael Vaughan averaged only 20 in the Test series.

Strauss was well short of his best

The performance of the one-day side leaves question marks remaining over three players on the fringes of the squad.

Reserve keeper Matt Prior made 94 runs in five innings as an opener, while Vikram Solanki looks a player who can scrap it out in tough situations rather than dictate the pace.

Ian Blackwell has been explosive in one-day cricket for Somerset but has often succumbed tamely in England colours.

Solutions:

England have very little room for manoeuvre here but the Test performances of Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood were a major plus.

But young Alastair Cook, who was drafted into the squad as cover for Vaughan and Strauss, could be given a chance, while Graveney and co are impressed with the progress made by Irishman Ed Joyce, who is now qualified to play for England.

The other options are Owais Shah and Rob Key, who were mentioned ahead of Cook before they both underwent surgery for injuries.

But the worry for England is India's main spinners - Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh - look more threatening than their Pakistani counterparts and the pitches are expected to turn a lot more.

SPINNERS

Problem:

England have hardy campaigners - Shaun Udal and Ashley Giles - who will not let anyone down in terms of effort.

Panesar has shown plenty of promise

But neither is a big turner of the ball, a fact exposed in Pakistan, where understudy Alex Loudon hardly got a look-in.

Options around the the county circuit are few and far between but some believe Monty Panesar, who has been prolific on friendly wickets at Northamptonshire, could provide a cutting edge.

The only other younger alternative, Blackwell, is comfortably a better batsman - no-one has seriously argued that he can run through a Test batting line-up.

Solution:

There isn't one screaming out at the moment.

England's strength is quite obviously in their pace department but, even with Simon Jones returning from injury, the selectors cannot afford to go into a Test without at least one front-line spinner.

The safe option, and the one England are likely to take, is Giles.

Panesar is regularly talked about as having promise and this might be the opportunity to put that to the test.

If the pitches are big turners in India, he could be the man to go for, although his batting and fielding leave a lot to be desired.