ENGLAND might be the best in the world, but they have got a long way to go before they are considered one of the great teams.

Thankfully, however, all the indicators suggest they are well on their way to making their mark on history.

Think of the great teams of the past and they all had an aura about them, they had strength in depth and they had an insatiable appetite for victory. In that respect, the Three Lions have all bases covered.

While the batsman relentlessly plunder runs, there is something really special about the bowling attack. The expectation, from bowler to the five-man slip corden and capacity crowds, is they can get a wicket with every delivery.

The Indian batting line-up, including great players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, has looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights when faced with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and the new ball.

Just like against Australia in the winter, the bowling unit strikes genuine fear into the hearts of the world’s best batsmen. They are reduced to bat-flailing wrecks.

All of this has been achieved without the world’s number one spin bowler, Graeme Swann, having much opportunity to weave his magic. And with players of the calibre of Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Graham Onions waiting in the wings, England can field a second-string pace attack that would be the envy of most international teams.

Similarly with the batting, Ravi Bopara is still to be given a long overdue extended run in the team while James Taylor is striking the right notes for Leicestershire and England Lions.

That competition for places has created an atmosphere in which everybody has to perform for fear of losing their place in a team that is likely to rule the world for a long time to come.

If Bangladesh had been guilty of some of the performances put in by India there would be calls for them to be omitted from the Test arena.

The simple truth is that India, while playing below their usual high standards, are being made to look ordinary by an exceptional England team whose air of invincibility is reducing their opponents to nervous wrecks.