Even tourists' true class may not be enough against dominant England

Little evidence full-strength India would have fared better

Even with their meticulous planning and coming into the series on a high after their Ashes success and a rain-interrupted win over Sri Lanka, it is doubtful that the England players and management would have imagined they would be two up after the first two Tests against India.

The two wins, both in very convincing style, showed the gulf between the sides in English conditions.

There is no doubt that injuries have affected the tourists but, even with their full-strength side on the field, there is little to suggest they would have fared differently.

The first two Tests have still been fantastic adverts for the longest format of the game. There have been batting collapses by both sides, coupled with magnificent innings by Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Rahul Dravid and Matt Prior. Inspired bowling spells by the England seamers and one from Ishant Sharma have been set against periods of dominance by the batsmen, mainly English. The added intrigue of Sachin Tendulkar's search for his elusive hundredth international hundred, the battle for number one, Stuart Broad's hat trick, and the run out incident involving Ian Bell in the last Test, have combined to make this one of the most enjoyable series for many years.

India's injury woes have continued, although it is debatable whether the loss of Harbajhan Singh will weaken the side. In the first two Tests he has taken just two wickets for 287 runs. With Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan also ruled out, the Indians will be forced into changes.

The return of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag at the top of the order will be a boost, allowing Dravid to return to his favoured No?3 position. With Tendulkar,VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni to follow, it must surely only be a matter of time before their seven batsmen put up a real fight against the English attack.

With England so dominant so far, little is being made of the loss of Jonathan Trott. It is likely Bell will continue at three, the position he occupied so successfully in the second innings at Trent Bridge, with Ravi Bopara at either five or six. Bopara, 26, has played just ten tests and is averaging 33, not statistics to warrant automatic selection. He is averaging 42 this season in first class cricket and recently scored 178 for Essex, an innings that must have played a part in his selection but he will know that, even if he plays well, it is likely he will make way if Trott is fit to return. However with winter tour squads to be selected soon, he will be eager to impress.

Although Chris Tremlett is unfit, it was highly likely Tim Bresnan would have kept his place anyway. His five-wicket second innings haul was crucial at Trent Bridge, as was his contribution with the bat of 90.

One of the noticeable differences between the sides is the lower order batting. In Bresnan, Broad and Graeme Swann, England have three highly-capable batsmen, all with first-class hundreds to their name. India must at some point put in a performance that is commensurate with their ability and status and, hopefully, Edgbaston will be the place.

If not, England will have achieved their goal far earlier than they ever anticipated.