A Different Team; A Different Ball Game

It’s advantage India in the heat and dust of the sub-continent, but do not count the Englishmen out. Having played two Tests in similar conditions, against a combative Bangladesh, England will have a FAIR IDEA of what to expect in India.

- S. DINAKAR

England achieved a monumental, against-the-oddsTest series triumph when ittoured India under Alastair Cook in 2012. Astonishingly, on spinner-friendly surfaces, Cook’s men found the right answers to vexing questions. India, until that point, had not lost a Test series at home after going down to Australia 2-1 in 2004.

A victory of mammoth proportions it was for England, as it breached the Indian citadel, termed by the legendary Steve Waugh as the ‘Final Frontier.’ And England achieved it with a blend of technical expertise, old-fashioned resilience and bursts of brilliant match-winning cricket.

Skipper Cook displayed the right methods and innings-building skills at the top of the order; Jonathan Trott was resolute in the middle order, and the gifted Kevin Pietersen conjured some epic moments with the willow.

JIMMY ANDERSON STRUCK telling blows with the new ball and then reverse swung the old ball. And that lovely off-spinner, Graeme Swann, with his flight, dip and turn, combined wonderfully with the much quicker but accurate leftarm spin of Monty Panesar.

The Indian batsmen were at the receiving end. Gradually, stress mounted on the host. Eventually, India was beaten in its own game, on tracks that assisted spin.

Yet, following that debacle in 2012, India has been undefeated and a largely winning side in series at home. Can Cook and his men pull off a heist again in the upcoming campaign?