The positive spin on Englands challenge in India in the coming weeks is to accept they go into it unburdened - wonderfully unburdened - by expectation.They are second favourites for the Test series in the way an antelope is second favourite in an encounter with a lion. The team psychologist is most unlikely to be spend much time warning of the dangers of complacency.Already, comparisons with 1993 are becoming apparent. On that tour, a tour that resulted in a whitewash series win for India, England attempted to play to their strengths and went into the first Test with an attack containing four seamers while the hosts selected three spinners. On that tour, England put their trust in a leg-spinner (Ian Salisbury) in the forlorn hope that his wicket-taking deliveries would compensate for a relative lack of control against batsmen well accustomed to playing spin bowling. On that tour, England recalled a veteran off-spinner (40-year-old John Emburey) and thrust their reserve wicket-keeper (Richard Blakey) into the Test team and found he struggled to compensate for the lack of experience in such conditions. Their best keeper, Jack Russell, failed to make the tour party on the grounds that his batting wasnt up to scratch. Sounds familiar, doesnt it?The comparisons do not end there. In 1993, security concerns were such that the first ODI, scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad, was abandoned which led to some players growing reluctant to leave their hotels.Let us not dwell upon the non-selection of a senior player (35-year-old David Gower on that occasion) with a fine record in such conditions. Maybe no England batsman has played a better Test innings in India than Kevin Pietersens in Mumbai in 2012; whatever the rights and wrongs of the episode, it seems a shame such a talent (now aged 36) is no longer on the biggest stage. Equally, it is a shame that Monty Panesar is nowhere near selection these days. Aged 34, he should be at his peak.England are missing James Taylor, too. There is no-one to blame for his illness, of course, and it would be disingenuous to pretend that he had nailed his Test career at the time it was abruptly curtailed. But, with his ability to manoeuvre spin bowling, the suspicion remains he would have been a vital part of Englands middle-order on this tour.The Pietersen debacle is an example of how decisions made long ago can colour the present. So, just as the perfectly reasonable - admirable, even, in its consistency and patience - decision to persist with James Vince and Alex Hales throughout the English summer has left the team once again looking to fill holes in the batting line-up, so the decision to agree to this tour schedule has left England facing an imperfect cocktail of weariness and unpreparedness.It would be simplistic to point the finger of blame at anyone for the schedule of five Tests in seven weeks without a warm-up game. While the current ECB chairman seems to have suggested it was the fault of the previous regime - forgetting, perhaps, that he was vice-chairman before his promotion - it is a systematic problem not the fault of an individual.There is simply no time: this England squad left the UK almost the moment the season was over - several of them were rested from key end of season matches with the tour schedule in mind - and they return only four days before Christmas. If they want - perfectly reasonably - time off with their families on tour and to be home for Christmas, something has to give.Remember, the limited-overs squad returns to India almost as soon as the new year has started and England will then play the longest home season in the history of international cricket in 2017. The business model is broken and, until it is mended, the fortunes of the team will always be compromised.Equally, by arresting the disparity in priority between red and white ball cricket that has always pervaded in England, the last 18-months or so have witnessed a rapid improvement in their limited-overs cricket. If they go on to win that long-awaited first global ODI event over the next few years, it may well all seem worth it.But it comes at a cost. So, encouraging Jos Buttler to play in the IPL - again, a perfectly legitimate decision - meant that he was unable to benefit from playing in the County Championship. He comes into this series having played just one first-class match since he was dropped about a year ago and has had little chance to resurrect the faults that led to his previous struggles. He is, for sure, a special talent. But has he been given the best chance to succeed? Clearly, he has not.Those shifting priorities could become more of an issue in future years. There can be little serious doubt that the ECB hierarchy is prepared to dilute the quality of the county championship in order to establish a new-look domestic T20 competition. The best players will rarely, if ever, play red ball county cricket in the late-summer weeks when spin bowling would normally be at its most prevalent in England and, as a consequence, their ability to bowl it or play it in such conditions will be compromised. The ECBs vision of the future - with the value and volume of Tests diminishing fast - may be accurate. Or they may be accomplices in the act.The standard of spin bowling in England has probably never been lower. Young players are provided so few opportunities to play in spin-friendly conditions and, with white ball cricket ever more important, it is hard to see how the situation will improve. Maybe, not so long from now, skills likely to be crucial in this series will be all but obsolete.England are not going to get better at playing or delivering spin until it becomes a priority and the truth is that it isnt. Defeat in India would hurt England but, if they go on to beat South Africa, win the Champions Trophy, and win the Ashes, its a pain with which they will cope.None of this constitutes an excuse for England. They are not the only team with a hectic schedule - Indias is equally daunting - and they are not the only team which struggles in foreign conditions. It is just an explanation and an observation.But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We are conducting the autopsy into Englands failure while the patient is still in decent health. England have proven, with victories in South Africa, with success in the 2015 Ashes and with their remarkable win here in 2012, that they deserve more respect than that.They have more enlightened management, more positive outlooks and more unity than many previous England touring parties. Certainly far more than the 1993 squad. They have at least a couple of men who have already established themselves as greats of English cricket (Alastair Cook, James Anderson and arguably Stuart Broad) and a couple more (Joe Root and Ben Stokes) who may well do so.And the pressure of expectation is all on India. If England can put together a decent start, perhaps the weight of a billion hopes will start to weigh heavy. Or if India try to destroy England rather than just trying to beat them - if they look for revenge for 2012 and 2014, if they prepare vicious turners or attempt to hit Moeen Ali and James Anderson into oblivion - it may let them in. That old line about revenge being best served cold remains true.So of course England have a chance. But success in series like this will always come against the odds as long as the value of spin in England is so low and while the importance of the County Championship is being eroded. And while the ECB talk a good game about the pre-eminence of Test cricket, their actions dont match their words. As Meat Loaf almost put it in the best-selling song of 1993: theyll do anything for Test cricket, but they wont do that. Cheap Jerseys From China . 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Cheapest Jerseys . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Wholesale Jerseys China . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. SEATTLE -- Clint Hurdle speaks with great appreciation for what Sean Rodriguez brings defensively, playing wherever Pittsburgh needs him to be in the field.It was his bat, though, that carried the Pirates on Wednesday night.Hes as good a defender as Ive run across wherever you put him. ... Hes a gifted defender and hes having one of his better offensive seasons so far this half, Hurdle said.Rodriguez doubled in consecutive at-bats and drove in four runs, David Freese hit a solo home run and Pittsburgh beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 to split a two-game interleague series.Rodriguez was responsible for breaking the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run double into the left-field corner off Seattle reliever Donn Roach. Rodriguez doubled an inning earlier off starter Wade Miley (6-4) to score Starling Marte.Freese got it all started with a solo home run on the first pitch of the second inning. It was a three-run inning for Pittsburgh, capped by a two-run double from Josh Harrison.All that offense backed a strong start from rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon, who pitched six innings, giving up just one run and six hits. Making his fifth career start, Taillon (2-1) overcame a shaky first inning and retired 10 straight at one point. He struck out six and didnt allow a walk.Taillon made some adjustments from his last start against the Dodgers when he was knocked out after four innings and giving up eight hits and four runs. His curveball was sharp, and Taillon relied more on his sinking fastball that had a number of Seattle hitters swinging over the top.Hurdle thought Taillons final four pitches to get Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager to finish off the sixth inning with two runners on might have been his best.Even though the game is 8-1, I dont want to give up those runs, Taillon said. I wanted to really put the foot on the gas there and set the tone still. I knew I was close to being done so I let them eat and was aggressive with them.Miley was making his first start since June 12 after a brief stint on the disabled list due to an impingement in his left shoulder. He was lucky to make it through the fourth, leaving pitches upp in the strike zone and watching them get hit hard.ddddddddddddA lot of mistakes up over the plate and he had a hard time getting in rhythm with any of his pitches, Seattle manager Scott Servais said.Freeses opposite-field home run into the first row down the right-field line was just the start. Rodriguezs double in the fourth gave Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead, and he scored on Jordy Mercers sharp single. Roach took over in the fifth and was greeted by consecutive one-out singles by Freese and Jung Ho Kang. Marte walked and Rodriguezs hard shot just inside third base bounced into the corner and allowed all three runners to score.Rodriguez doubled his RBI output for the entire month of June entering the game. Between June 1 and June 23, Rodriguez appeared in 21 games without an RBI.BROKEN HANDIf the pitching performances from Miley and Roach werent bad news enough, the Mariners lost catcher Steve Clevenger in the third inning to a broken bone in his right hand after taking a foul ball square on the exposed hand off the bat of Andrew McCutchen. Clevenger fractured the third metacarpal, and Seattle will require a roster move to fill the backup catcher role.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong will throw a simulated game this weekend in Oakland after throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday. Vogelsong suffered facial fractures when he was hit in the left eye with a pitch in late May. Hes eligible to come off the disabled list on July 23.Mariners: Seattle placed reliever Nick Vincent on the 15-day disabled list with a back strain to clear a spot for Miley. Vincent said hes been dealing with the discomfort for about two weeks and finally decided rest was the best course. Vincent has made a team-high 35 appearances.UP NEXTPirates: After an off day on Thursday, the Pirates open a series on Friday against Oakland with Jeff Locke (7-5) getting the start.Mariners: Seattle opens a four-game series with Baltimore on Thursday and Taijuan Walker (3-6) on the mound after missing his last start due to a sore ankle. China Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys NFL Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL T-shirts Camo China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Hoodies ' ' '