However, former England off-spinner Eddie Hemmings, 71, does not believe the English spin troika are any match to Indian spinners R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.

“I don’t think they [England spinners] are on top of their game, but they are improving all the time. They have a good spin coach in [Jeetan] Patel, the New Zealander. I think as long as he stays with them, they are going to improve,” Nottingham-based Hemmings told mid-day on Tuesday.

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Hemmings has high expectations from Moeen, who claimed 10 wickets in four Tests during England’s last tour in 2016-17.

Banking on Moeen

“With Moeen, he thrives with confidence, like most cricketers. And if his confidence is good, he can come good because he is a good all-round cricketer. But other than that, he hasn’t played much [of Test cricket in recent times]. He has played a lot of one-day stuff. He is a fine all-round cricketer. I am hoping he finds his confidence and gets stuck in,” said Hemmings, who claimed 43 wickets in 16 Tests and 37 victims in 33 ODIs.

Hemmings felt drawing the series should be England’s realistic target. “I think it could be closer than the last few series if England bat well. We can think of drawing the series if that [England bat well] happens. I don’t think England are going to win the series. That’s not gonna happen. India are a brilliant team and they have shown that again [with the win in Australia]. They are a very, very good team. When you get all the players coming together, that is what you want. Unfortunately, for England, you get two or three coming together and the others fall away. India tend to play better as a team,” he concluded.