In this issue

Having set the benchmark Down Under, India now face an opponent
which has tried hard to adapt to the challenges of playing in Asian conditions. The 4-0 hammering on their last visit to India in 2016 must serve a
grim reminder to England. This series is India’s final assignment in the
league phase of the World Test Championship, and that will put the combatants under intense scrutiny while placing a growing burden of expectation on the men at the helm. Joe Root exemplifies everything that is good
about batsmanship. So does Kohli, rightfully back as captain. The English
should remember they will be dealing with an opposition known to produce
a much superior brand of cricket when playing at home.
The 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka may appear decent preparation for
England, but a battlefield of a different magnitude awaits them. The quality
of India’s spin bowlers is far more pronounced than what Sri Lanka offered.
That England are following a rotation policy for the four Tests gives India
the advantage, though as India showed in Australia, there is no guarantee
for success these days. If there is one sore point, it will be the absence of
spectators, but that’s only one of many disappointments in this phase of
global uncertainty and turmoil.

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