Reaching England early is the right approach, says Sourav Ganguly

Stressing on the importance of visiting teams getting acclimatized to the England conditions, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has called the Indian team’s decision to leave for England early as the “right” move.

"India have adopted the right approach by getting there early and preparing for two weeks before the first Test, something they didn't do in 2011 and ended up with a forgettable series scoreline. The biggest challenge for touring teams is to get used to conditions and that can happen only when you spend time there.

"The importance of getting used to the cold, especially for players coming from tropical conditions, cannot be over-stated. And the first Test is very important, more so in five-Test series. I am glad that the team will have spent a couple of weeks in England before they take on the home side in the opening Test," Ganguly wrote in his column for Gocricket.com.

The 41-year-old also said that the Indian batsmen will have to make adjustments in their technique, depending on the requirements of the decks they will be playing on, to be successful.

"Every venue will offer different challenges. The pitches in the south will be drier but when the team head north to places like Manchester, Leeds and Durham, the seam movement will get a lot pronounced. The batsmen will be called upon to make big adjustments," Ganguly stated.

This tour will be the first taste of the longer format in England for a number of Indian players. Ganguly, who scored a century on his Test debut at Lord’s, England, in 1996, will now be part of the commentary team for the England tour.

“Having started my Test career in England in 1996, I have to say it's the best place to play the sport. Though I finished playing a few years ago, when I embark on the tour of England as a commentator, I will have an amazing feeling.

My first trip to England with the Indian team was in 1996. The English team has only got better since then. We also started playing better as a team," said Ganguly about his England connect.

"The NatWest Trophy victory in 2002, the levelling of Test series later that month and winning the series in 2007 remain the highlights of my visits to that country. It was indeed special being part of an era where Indian cricket shed the underdogs tag and was a transformed side by 2007," said Ganguly, recalling India's memorable moments on the England soil.

"I can still feel the cold in my bones when I cast the mind back to a game in Hove on what was one of the coldest days of my life. I was fielding at silly point and our spinner bowled three full-tosses an over since he could not grip the ball well because of the cold. There were times when I hoped to be moved from there because a hit in the shin could have finish my tour even before it actually started,” Ganguly added.

India are scheduled to play two warm-up games, first of which will start on June 26 at Leicester, in the lead up to the Test series that begins on July 9.