Kohli and Indian squad started preparing for challenging English summer

Manchester, July 2 (CRICKETNMORE) - Fresh from a relatively easy 2-0 whitewash over minnows Ireland, India's real test on the tour will start on Tuesday when the Virat Kohli-led brigade will be up against a formidable England side in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series at the Old Trafford here.

While India has been a consistent limited overs side over the past 6-7 years, England has of late lifted their game in coloured clothes by miles, thanks to a group of fantastic limited overs players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Ben Stokes. Going by current form, both sides are at par on paper, with India having won 15 of their last 20 T20 Internationals, including the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka and the bilateral away series against South Africa.

England, on the other hand, will head to the series on the back of a 6-0 drubbing of Australia with Buttler, Roy, Jonny Bairstow in good form. Regrouping after almost a three-month long gap, India used the Ireland T20Is as a good warm-up, registering facile wins of 72 and 143 runs but more importantly giving the whole squad good game time before the challenging series against the Englishmen.

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