India whitewash just the beginning for superb England

England are now the number one Test side after thrashing India 4-0

Just two-and-a-half years ago, English cricket was in a state of turmoil.

Kevin Pietersen had been sacked as captain and Peter Moores had been relieved of his duties as coach with an Ashes series just around the corner.

In stepped Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower and the rest, they say, is history.

By whitewashing India 4-0 in the Test series this summer, England have become officially the best Test side in the world and that is a remarkable turnaround in such a short period of time.

There are certainly improvements to be made on the one-day side of things but the success of the Test side has ensured this will be a golden era for English cricket.

They beat Australia at home, earned a creditable draw in South Africa, beat a strong Pakistan side at home and won in Australia for the first time in 24 years, while Flower has not tasted defeat in a Test series since being confirmed as permanent coach. They even won their first ICC limited overs tournament with victory in the World T20.

All this was unthinkable in the dark days of the 2008/09 winter and the 4-0 win against India was reward for the hard work put in by Flower, Strauss and the coaching staff over the last two-and-a-half years.

The Strauss - Flower partnership has to be one of the best in world cricket

India were well off the boil, of that there is no doubt, but a lot of that was down to England's consistent displays with the bat, ball and in the field, grinding down the Indians with the quality of their play.

The legendary batting line-up of India never passed 300 in the series and while the flaws of the batsmen were in evidence throughout the series, it was the pressure put on them by England's superb bowling attack that was the defining factor.

England's batsmen took full advantage of India's poor bowling and feasted on runs, regularly scoring well over 450 to give the tourists little or no chance of winning games.

It was men against boys at times and while it was a shame the series did not provide the contest it should have been, it was a joy to watch this superb England side in action.

It has been a long time since an England team were able to dominate opposition like this and it is clear they are reaping the benefits of prioritising Test cricket.

This team, as well as some of the promising youngsters unlucky to miss out on a place in the side, could and should dominate Test cricket for at least the best part of a decade now.

They are by far the best Test side in the world as they are world class in all areas and have no weak links, meaning they will never let sides get on top of them in the way they could in the past.

Every member of the team is a potential match-winner and it must be a daunting prospect facing this England side at the moment.

They are sensational with the bat, ball and in the field and are always striving to improve, meaning they will still not be satisfied and this should just be the beginning of their journey.

The meticulous work of coach Flower, batting coach Graham Gooch and bowling coach David Saker means there is no danger of this team resting on their laurels in the way the Ashes winners of 2005 did.

Saker (above) and Gooch (bottom right) have done terrific jobs for England

Saker has done a terrific job with the bowlers and he now possesses arguably the most potent attack in world cricket.

Gooch's role is seemingly to make the batsmen believe in themselves and make massive scores, and that has certainly been in evidence in recent series.

Between 1990 and 2009, England players scored eight double centuries but since 2010 there has been seven already, an incredible record.

Players now get to 100 and know their job is not done, always striving for more and to be the best they can be. The Gooch influence is clear here as he was a batsman who specialised in 'daddy' hundreds during his career.

The extremely long batting line-up must be demoralising for the opposition as it now seems impossible to bowl this England side out cheaply, whatever the conditions.

England are fantastic in every department and anyone would have lost to them in this form.

They thoroughly deserve their number one Test ranking and when you look at them player by player, it is clear to see there are no weak links:

Andrew Strauss - leads the side excellently and still chips in with runs. His role is often understated and many still claim he is a defensive captain, but boy does he get results. Strauss may not score as many centuries as he used to but that is not a major concern yet. Should still have a few years left in the side despite being 34.

Alastair Cook - quite simply a run machine who has the world at his feet. He is so steady and dependable that he can always be relied on to score runs. His 294 in the third Test aside, he had a relatively lean series with the bat but that innings proved the incredible concentration and stamina he has in abundance. Cook is on course to break all manner of records.

Cook's magnificent form was capped when he won the player of the series award in the winter's Ashes series

Jonathan Trott - missed the last two Tests against India with a shoulder injury but he will slot straight back into the side when fit again. Similarly to Cook, Trott is Mr Dependable and an integral part of England's success. He averages almost 58 in Test cricket and his steady influence on this England team should never be overlooked.

Kevin Pietersen - back to his smouldering best in the India series, Pietersen was the top run scorer with two centuries, one a double century and the other 175. His ability to take the game away from the opposition in double-quick time makes Pietersen still England's batting lynchpin and he remains one of the most feared batsmen in world cricket.

Pietersen had a superb series with the bat

Ian Bell - in the form of his life, with two centuries against India and one of those marking his maiden Test double century. Bell moved up to number three in Trott's absence and proved he can play there just as successfully after struggling in the position earlier in his career. He is so much more mature now and is glorious to watch in full flow.

Eoin Morgan - It is hard for Morgan to make an impact at the moment with the success of those batsmen above him, but he cemented his place in this team with a century in the third test. He is a vital member of the side as if England need quick runs, Morgan is as destructive as anybody.

Matt Prior - doubted in the early part of his England career but has developed into the best wicketkeeper-batsman in world cricket. He could bat higher up this order quite easily and that gives England the freedom to go with five bowlers in the future should they need to. Prior very rarely makes mistakes behind the wicket and scores his runs consistently and quickly, so England would not swap him for anybody.

Tim Bresnan - got his chance against India after an injury to Chris Tremlett and grabbed it with both hands. In the 10 Tests he has played, England have won every one of them so it is almost impossible for them to drop him now. Bresnan is a consistent wicket-taker and is equally adept with the bat, meaning he could be the natural heir to Andrew Flintoff as England's all-rounder.

Stuart Broad - went into the India series with his place in the team under real question but was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 25 and won the player of the series award. Broad is once again a potent threat with the ball now he is pitching the ball up, and that change in tactics may be attributed to bowling coach David Saker. He is also very handy with the bat, an all-rounder similar to Bresnan, and could lead this attack for the next decade.

Broad's fantastic displays included a hat-trick at Trent Bridge

Graeme Swann - not needed too much in the series due to the excellence of the seam bowlers but he showed his worth with his six-wicket haul in India's final innings of the series. Swann is the best spinner in the world so it just shows how well England have done that he wasn't needed for the best part of the series. He is also very useful with the bat and appears to be a key character in the dressing room, so Swann has been crucial to England's success.

James Anderson - still the leader of the attack and the experience he has now gained means England have yet another potent threat. Anderson is a magnificent swing bowler who always takes wickets, particularly in English conditions, and should now be in the prime of his career.

In addition to that world class line-up, there are also other top class players not playing.

England have tremendous competition for places, particularly in the bowling department, which will keep everybody on their toes and striving to improve.

Chris Tremlett appeared to be an indispensable member of the side but may struggle to get back into the team due to the magnificent displays of his bowling colleagues.

Tremlett now faces a real battle to reclaim his place in the team

Steven Finn and Graham Onions also should not be forgotten about, meaning England have an embarrassment of riches in the bowling department.

Chris Woakes, James Taylor and Craig Kieswetter are three young players waiting in the wings while Ravi Bopara got into the side in the absence of Trott and didn't let anybody down.

All this ensures the selectors do not have an easy job but that is magnificent news for English cricket.

This is the strongest position England have been in in Test cricket and that position is only set to get stronger.

This winter's tours, against Pakistan in the UAE and in Sri Lanka will be extremely tough but it is hard to see England losing those series.

Next summer's home series against South Africa will again be a real test of this side but England are the number one team in the world and should triumph.

The impending one-day series against India will provide a stern test as the Indians are clearly more suited to the one-day game at the moment, but Test cricket is the priority for England and their position could not be stronger.

Whether they can dominate like the great West Indies and Australia sides of the past remains to be seen but one thing is for sure.

It will not be for the want of trying.