Ajinkya Rahane confident of India's success on England tour

Ajinkya Rahane believes India's improved bowling attack gives them a good chance of coming out on top in the five-match Test series against England later this year.

Pacers Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah all excelled during India's recent Test series in South Africa, even though the tourists lost the series 2-1.

The world's number one ranked Test team will be looking to register their first series win in England in more than a decade in August, with their last victory on English soil coming in 2007.

India lost their last five-match Test series in England by a 3-1 margin in 2014.

Rahane said tourists will look to play positive cricket when they travel abroad to play the likes of England and Australia.

"We all do believe that we have the team that can do well in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England," he was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

"It is important to start well. The preparations part will be really important as it will provide us with the momentum.

"Taking 60 wickets in South Africa was unbelievable. The way our fast bowlers and spinners bowled, we all believe that we can do well.

"When we go abroad, the teams come hard at us. There is challenge for an individual to do well overseas but we had discussed that from now on, wherever we will go, we will think and play like it's our home turf and that's what we were doing in South Africa."

Rahane was dropped for the first two Tests against South Africa, but scored a crucial 48 in the second innings of the third Test in Johannesburg to help India to a 63-run win.

The Wanderers Test was marred by concerns over the state of the pitch, with the umpires at one point taking the players off because of the uneven bounce.

Rahane admitted it had been a challenge to bat on the Wanderers pitch.

"Yes Johannesburg wicket was slightly dangerous but for me it was an opportunity to become a hero," he stated.

"I did not play the first two Test matches and I was motivated, I was disciplined and really working hard on my batting, when I got to know that I was playing this Test match, and that is what I did and I am happy to contribute to the success."