BACK from a rigorous examination of nerves, skill and mental fortitude, Team India is ready for another enticing challenge at home. Their triumph in Australia under excruciating conditions is yet to sink in but there is no time for a lull as the next opponent – England – is as good as they come. The four-Test series, starting this week in Chennai, is set to be another battle of equals. Though the scales tip a little bit more in India’s favour for the mental zone they are in at present and familiar surroundings of home, underestimating England will be a big mistake.

 

The India Vs England contest may not pan the same way as the series against Australia went, but it is sure to generate the same intensity. England are no pushovers, even in the sub-continent conditions, as they have proved with a clean sweep in Sri Lanka before landing on the Indian shores. That they achieved the Test victories against the spin threat makes this series quite fascinating. India are generally in a mood to press their spinners in bigger service at home and it will be interesting to see how England answer to that challenge after conquering the Lankan guile. One thing that has come out from England’s triumph in Lanka is their potent spin attack. Despite their inexperience, off-spinner Dom Bess and left-arm orthodox Jack Leach proved very handy in testing the Sri Lankans on their home turf.

 

They will be equally useful in India on wickets traditionally aiding spinners. As former England players have stressed in their assessment of the series, India certainly can’t ‘out-spin’ England anymore. This is an interesting observation and speaks of the positive mindset of the visiting teams who used to go in a shell on the prospects of facing Indian spinners. The perception is slowly changing and in the case of England their 2012 triumph has given them a new confidence while facing India in India. The 2-1 win had come on the exploits of off-spinner Graeme Swann and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar. The observation that India cannot ‘out-spin’ England anymore has its genesis in that triumph. In a way, it is a fair assessment of the series.

 

The game itself has changed so much that the concept of home advantage does not weigh too much. India’s victory against Australia in their own backyard is a case in point. All the talk of pace and bounce getting the better of Indian batsmen was trashed by the series victory where the Indian pace attack (even the second-string) matched the much-vaunted Aussie bowlers and the batsmen out-batted the hosts. Changing nature of wickets and acquiring of greater skills by individuals have negated many old theories. The same will be applicable for the England series when they start as equals, rather than wary visitors afraid of the brown dust-bowls. The series will boil down again to the batting quality of both teams. India holds a bigger advantage in this area with the return of Virat Kohli. The Indian captain adds a special aura to the batting line-up. In comparison, the Englishmen still haven’t found the right batting balance around Joe Root. How the top-order of both teams performs will be the key in the series.