This is how England can compete - perhaps even win - in India. Mel Stottlemyre Jersey .England arent going to win if they attempt to go the traditional route. They arent going to win if they rely on their spinners to take 20 wickets or if they expect suddenly to develop another match-winning slow bowler at the last minute. The days when England could call on the likes of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann are gone. Hoping to recreate the success of 2012 without changing the formula will surely end in failure.But they might, just might, win if they can field a balanced attack of four seamers and two or three spinners. And they might, just might, win if their seamers can gain reverse swing and operate in the sort of sharp spells that allow them to remain fresh and potent as they did against Pakistan at Edgbaston. And their spinners could well prove more successful if the captain has the scope to use them in shorter spells and withdrew them as necessary.An India supporter glancing at the scorecard from Edgbaston might note that seamers claimed eight of the wickets in the fourth innings and presume this was a typical English pitch. Green, bouncy and seaming.But it was far from it. It was sluggish and low; flat and slow. It was, after the first day, a heartbreaker for a bowler. It wouldnt quite be accurate to describe it as Asian in style, but there were as many characteristics of archetypal Asian surfaces as those usually found in England.The key, on the last day, was Englands ability to gain reverse swing. It wasnt lavish and it wasnt for long, but it was enough to unlock this decent Pakistan batting line-up on a flat surface. The ball only swung for an hour or so but, in that time, Englands seamers broke through the Pakistan resistance. The ease with which the tenth-wicket pair then added 50 demonstrates how comfortable batting became once the ball stopped swinging, but while it did, Englands seamers were deadly. We have come a long way since England reacted with such suspicion to Pakistans bowlers cutting through them with the same skills.Englands greatest strength, though, is the presence of so many international class allrounders within their squad. Here, with Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali in the side, England were able to operate a four-man seam attack which ensured the bowlers could deliver much shorter spells than in the past. This helps maintain pressure on the batsman and means that there is nearly always someone to turn to for a fresh, fast spell. The days when James Anderson was regularly forced into seven- or eight-over spells are gone. The burden is more evenly spread and England - and Anderson - are better for it.In India (and Bangladesh, if that tour goes ahead) England must field all three of their proven allrounders - Woakes, Ben Stokes and Moeen - and allow themselves the chance to play up to four seamers searching for reverse swing, and either two or three spinners.We know that the second spinner will be Adil Rashid. But the third? While England could go for a specialist - the likes of Simon Kerrigan or Gareth Batty (Panesar, with a bowling average of 85 in Division Two of this seasons Championship, is not a realistic option) - recent history suggests they may opt for another allrounder and probably one who spins the ball away from the right-hander. There will be consideration given to the improving Liam Dawson, but he has just four Championship wickets at a cost in excess of 100 apiece this season, and Samit Patel (who has 19 wickets at 34.15). But it looks as though Zafar Ansari (with 21 Championship wickets at 28.38) is most likely to be considered as he could probably also compete for a place in the top five of the batting line-up.Either way, we saw a glimpse of the formula England will have to use in India at Edgbaston. And it is one that sees England play to their strengths, rely on the skill of their seamers and their depth, with bat and ball, provided by their allrounders.There is a major caveat to all this. Even if England can create 20 chances against India in India and even if their close fielders can accept every chance that comes their way, England will still have to bat well on surfaces that could turn sharply.This is clearly a concern. But they have shown, albeit on surfaces offering little assistance to spin, that they are learning. Since the end of the Lords Test, Moeen has taken seven wickets at a cost of 259 runs, while Yasir Shah has four for 502. It will be harder on Indian wickets, but thats a statistic that bodes well.There were many heroes for England in Birmingham. There was Jonny Bairstow, who selflessly sacrificed his own chances of a century for the good of the team and took perhaps his finest catch yet. There was Moeen Ali, who in the second innings equalled Dennis Amisss record for the top score at an Edgbaston Test by an England player who had played (present or past) for Warwickshire, and gained beautiful drift when he bowled.There was Steven Finn, who bowled with hostility on a pitch offering him nothing. There was Alex Hales, who helped his captain knock off the deficit on the third evening, and Stuart Broad, who bowled a super, unrewarded spell on the final day. It was probably no coincidence that Moeen, who was named Man of the Match in his first Test on his home-city ground, produced what he termed his best bowling performance in a long time after an improved display with the bat.And, most of all, there was Alastair Cook, who continues to grow as a leader. It was Cook who decided that Anderson might like to apologise to the umpires and face the media after his tantrums on day two - a decision that probably saved Anderson a fine or a suspension - and Cook who juggled his bowlers so well that it might have gone overlooked that three of them (Broad, Moeen and Finn) came into this game low on form and confidence. It was Cook who timed his declaration nicely and it was Cook who led the second-innings fightback with the bat when England made light of a significant first-innings deficit with an assured opening stand of 126 with Hales.Rumours have circulated for some time that Cook might, at some stage, like to take a step back from the captaincy and enjoy a couple of years back in the ranks as a batsman. At one time, it was presumed that decision would be made in 2016. For that reason it is possible, just possible, that the Oval Test could be Cooks last as captain in England.But this England team is just getting started. And Cook is just finding his feet as a leader. Whether they reach No. 1 or not in the coming weeks - and it will be partially a reflection of the inadequacy of the ranking system and the fact there is no stand-out side in world cricket at present - for that ranking to have real credibility, they have to win in India. With Cook at the helm and a team stacked with allrounders they have an outside chance of doing that. It would be madness to move on now.It was interesting to note after the game that the England dressing room sent not for beer or champagne, but for lemonade. They know the time has not yet come for celebrating. They know they have work ahead of them. But they can approach it with confidence. Zack Britton Jersey . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Kyle Higashioka Jersey .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/custo...large-874i.html . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach Bill Self was asked not long ago about the Jayhawks early schedule, and he wryly gazed across the room at several school administrators and responded with his own question.Who thought this was a good idea? he said.Few teams play tougher nonconference schedules than the third-ranked Jayhawks, which is a big reason why their RPI is always among the best in the country. But theyve taken it up a notch this year, playing No. 11 Indiana in their opener Friday night before facing top-ranked Duke on Tuesday.Oh, and those two games will take place 5,000 miles apart.I think to get a couple of blue-bloods to play, I think it will be a great game, said Self, whose Jayhawks face the Hoosiers in Honolulu before turning around to play the Blue Devils in New York.Self may have poked fun at school officials for their brutal first week, but in reality he wouldnt have it any other way. The game in Hawaii is part of the Armed Forces Classic, and roughly coincides with the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, while the game at Madison Square Garden is part of the Champions Classic doubleheader that also features second-ranked Kentucky and No. 14 Michigan State.These are the kinds of games that top-rated recruits want to play, and the kind that give Kansas the national exposure that it takes to reel them in.I mean, its hard. You play national, traditional powers, the league will be great, all these things, Self said. But when it was brought to me to have a chance to play in kind of the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and what that could mean from an educational standpoint with our guys and everything, I think that was something like, `Yeah, emotionally weve got to do that.Of course, then he realized how the flight itinerary will look.Were taking three planes over there. Weve got to take three planes back to New York. We cant even travel together, Self said. And its certainly not going to be easy coming back to play after that trip, and all we did was set ourselves up to have a tough opening start.At least Spartans coach Tom Izzo can commiserate.Michhigan State plays No. James Paxton Jersey. 10 Arizona in the other part of the Armed Forces Classic on Friday night, then will take a similar trip to New York for its game against the Wildcats.In fact, the Spartans may have an even more daunting November than Kansas. They return from New York for two games at the Breslin Center before visiting the Blue Devils in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.Weve never had a November where we played three or four top teams, opponents. This year were going to probably have a minimum of four, Izzo said. I dont know what that means. It means that were going to find out early exactly where we are, like we always do. The travel makes it a little more brutal, a little more concerning with the number of young guys.Likewise, Hoosiers coach Tom Crean welcomes the challenge of facing the Jayhawks to start the year.Were going to go against one of the hardest-nosed, toughest-minded, best-coached teams in the country, he said. And really, what it does is it just kind of increases your urgency a little bit in the non-season. And theres not a day that goes by that I dont reference one of those two teams at least four or five times in something that were doing.Two teams? Oh, right. The Hoosiers wrap November by playing sixth-ranked North Carolina .But the marquee nonconference matchups are part of college basketballs appeal. Even a team that loses one -- or all -- of its high-profile games wont hurt its chances of making the NCAA Tournament, while a similar loss or two in college football can end a teams championship hopes.Rather, the games serve as an early barometer for where a team stands, exposes flaws that can be addressed before league play, and toughens teams up for the brutal grind of March.I think our guys will rally around that, Self said of the grinding start to the season, and certainly if they are fatigued, they wont play fatigued.---For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org/ ' ' '