Champions' Trophy: Hussain feels the heat of endless summer

India await once more as the captain fears mediocrity lies ahead on a crowded horizon

England's palpable weakness in the Champions' Trophy might somehow prove to be their unwitting strength. If this can help them through against India today, they should actually begin to believe that they can win the tournament and the $300,000 that goes with it, an enormous prize in cricket terms.

It is all highly unlikely, and the sense of expectation in Nasser Hussain's comments yesterday was on the downside of low. Hussain made it clear that his side could beat any of the others in a one-off match on the day – even Australia – but he was making no bold claims.

"We have played India a lot lately, but for this match we probably know them a lot better than they know us," he said. "They'll have barely seen anything of some of our boys. It is another big game, like so many of them have been. But if we lose, we lose and we go home. If we win, nobody will have expected it and we're here for another match."

The conditions and the odds favour India. As Hussain observed, the key to the game will be England's ability to work out and get out India's batting line-up. They have seven players who can do untold damage to aspirations. The England captain can still recall the NatWest Series final at Lord's when the tourists won a splendid match after staring down both barrels. It should be remembered that England have had their impressive triumphs against India this year as well. They came from 3-1 down in the series on the subcontinent last winter to draw 3-3. As Hussain pointed out, nobody expected that either.

The England captain appeared to be slightly miffed by the comments of his opposite number, Sourav Ganguly, after the Fourth Test at The Oval, a mere 13 days ago, to the effect that India had demonstrated that they were a better side because England had not beaten them in two Test series and two one-day series.

"That's Sourav, he always speaks fairly openly," said Hussain. "He's quite entitled to his opinion but at various times we've been without Gough, Trescothick, Thorpe, and we didn't see much of Caddick in the summer. I just wonder how India would fare if you took out four of their best players."

Point made and doubtless taken. In view of their overwhelming victory against Zimbabwe the other evening, this reshaped England team can win today, but will most likely lose. India's wonderful batting order probably outweighs their potentially fragile bowling. For England to progress, either Marcus Trescothick or Nick Knight must play a substantial innings – and Trescothick remains in the form of his life.

An England win would bring a semi-final against South Africa. In the context of the winter ahead, winning today, and indeed the whole shooting match, would have little bearing. But Australia have shown that winning at whatever form of the game is habit-inducing.

Crowds for most of the matches here have been low despite the low ticket cost. The International Cricket Council may be disappointed about the lack of atmo-sphere in the grounds, but point out that there is a vast television audience out there.

This has certainly been a well-organised event, not least considering that the Sri Lankans had only five months to plan it. It is the biggest single sporting festival the country has staged. England will do well to match their enthusiasm for it when they are hosts in September 2004, and ought to start addressing now the problem of filling grounds.

The twin venues have yet to be decided, but Edgbaston and New Road, Worcester, are early front-runners. Another possible combination is Edgbaston and Bristol, though the two places may be deemed by the television companies to be too far apart. If the Rose Bowl, Southampton, and Hove would be a more revolutionary choice, the weather on the south coast is surely more trustworthy. Lord's and The Oval can be ruled out now. Too big, too late in the summer, certainly for Lord's, which will have been long since put to bed for the winter.

Whether there is room for a second tournament involving all the major teams of the world is debatable. The argument for it would be much easier to make if there were not so many minor tournaments, in addition to the head-to-head series. Then again, England would point to the triumph of their triangular tournament this summer. England must certainly clasp the event closer to their bosom next time. When Hussain arrived here he confessed he did not know about the prize money or the precise nature of the competition. He will have to catch up quickly if they win today.

England will be trying all right, but the suspicion is that a few of the players will not altogether mind going home. There are bigger fish than the Champions' Trophy to fry this winter, and while he was at it yesterday Hussain again had a go at the ICC, by pointedly not having a go at them.

He said that the international itinerary was up to them and the players simply had to meet their fixture obligations. But players should play and rest, he warned, and should be looking forward to their next game of cricket.

"If that doesn't happen there is a question of mediocrity running through and letting down the paying public," he said bleakly. Hello, hello, is anybody out there listening?