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Tremlett wary of India's middle order

India's much lauded middle order quartet may have failed to score a fifty between them during the drawn first Test but England fast bowler Chris Tremlett believes that could change come the second match of the series, starting at Trent Bridge today.

There had been much talk leading up to the enthralling contest at Lord's as to how England would cope without the "fab four" of Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles, their bowling quartet that regained the Ashes in 2005, in what was the hosts first Test without any of them since that dramatic series win against Australia.

But after the recalled James Anderson, who took a Test-best five for 42 in the first innings, led an attack featuring left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, debutant Tremlett and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar to within a wicket of victory, the attention switched to India's "fab four."

India captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman managed just 192 runs between them at Lord's.

However, it was a similar story during India's last tour of England in 2002 when a modest opening Test tally of 259 was followed by the quartet compiling a further 1,294 runs between them in the next three Tests including five hundreds and five fifties.

Tremlett, a late call-up for the injured Matthew Hoggard at Lord's, was England's most successful bowler in the second innings with three for 52 before bad light and rain ended play just before tea with India nine wickets down.

"They are obviously great players and it would be stupid to say they are losing their touch," Tremlett said. "I played for England Lions [the national A side] against India and Sachin made a hundred and he looked class."

"He still looks a very good player," said Tremlett.

Not that Tremlett was overawed by the prospect of facing four of the world's best batsmen again, in the second of a three-Test series, after being part of arguably England's best collective bowling display since 2005.

"As a group in this Test we were very aggressive and worked together as a team. We did get in their faces. We didn't make them feel comfortable," Tremlett said.

Ganguly gave India an injury scare when he took no part during Wednesday's practice session because of a back problem that hampered the left-hander at Lord's.

England's batsmen looked fallible against the left-arm quicks and it was only thanks to Kevin Pietersen's second innings 134 that the tourists were put on the backfoot.

And if one of India's batting stars comes off at Trent Bridge, England could yet rue their failure to take just one more wicket at Lord's.
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