England can upset India, says White

England can cause an upset in India just as they did on their last trips to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, according to the tourists' all-rounder Craig White.

"There is no pressure on us to do well," White said in an interview to Reuters. "Everyone has written us off already, so that's a good thing.

"We can just go out there and concentrate on what we have to do and hopefully we might surprise a few people," he added. "The media wrote us off when we went to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, so it was nice to see a few of them eat their own words".

England have arrived for their first tour of India in eight years with a weakened bowling attack which is expected to struggle during next month's three-Test series.

White, a pace bowling all-rounder, is expected to lead an otherwise raw new-ball attack in the absence of the experienced Darren Gough and Andy Caddick.

"The media's reaction doesn't discourage you," White said. "It just pumps you up a little more just to try and prove them wrong."

The Yorkshire player, however, still felt a realistic target for England would be just to compete with India on turning wickets.

"Our target is just to compete and stay in the game," he said. "Be the decent competitive team we were in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. And if you stick in there right till the very end, you never know what might happen."

POOR SUMMER

White, who has played 21 Tests since his debut in 1999, was an integral member of the sides that won in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but has come to India after a poor summer plagued by injuries.

The 31-year-old thinks England's warm-up games will be a key indicator of how the 16-man squad, none of whom have played a Test in India, was adapting to the unfamiliar conditions.

"Our bowlers have played county cricket for a long time and have a lot of experience playing cricket so they'll learn the wickets quickly in the tour matches. Personally, I hope to be ready and raring to go in the first Test."

The first of three Tests starts in the northern city of Mohali on December 3. England begin their tour with a two-day game in Bombay on Sunday, and have three-day tour games at Hyderabad and Jaipur later this month.

The tour was preceded by security fears because of India's proximity to war-struck Afghanistan, with Caddick and Robert Croft choosing not to travel.

Captain Nasser Hussain, however, said England were more concerned about prolific India batsman Sachin Tendulkar than security issues, and White is looking forward to facing his former Yorkshire team mate.

"I know Sachin quite well. It'll be a great challenge to bowl to one of the greatest batsmen in the world. That's what you get to set your standard against."

Mail Cricket Editor