COLOMBO, Sept 21: England will take aim at a formidable Indian batting line-up when they clash in the deciding pool 2 Champions Trophy game Sunday.

The most high-profile game of the league stage of this 12-team event will be a virtual quarterfinal as the winners go through to face former champions South Africa in the semifinals.

India have in recent months stopped relying too much on the leading duo of Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Saurav Ganguly and should hold the edge on a slow, turning track.

“The key is working at their batting line-up,” England skipper Nasser Hussain said Saturday. “But there is not a specific area in this line-up you can focus on.”

The experienced Rahul Dravid’s one-day form has come as a bonus to a side where youngsters Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif have boosted the batting this season coming in at numbers six and seven.

India hold a 5-4 win-loss record from 10 games against England this year and won their previous meeting at Lord’s in July, chasing a mammoth 326 to win a tri-series final.

India lost five early wickets before being rescued by Yuvraj and Kaif, who hit 87 not out and showed his form again by top-scoring with an unbeaten 111 during the win over Zimbabwe in this event.

Hussain considered the defeat, which came despite centuries from him and opener Marcus Trescothick, a personal blow but said he did not see Sunday’s game as a revenge outing.

“For me personally, it was dark, we lost a game of such importance. That game will always hurt me. But we shouldn’t be making too much of it.”

Teams:

INDIA (probable): Saurav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.