The third Test of the five-match series between England and India starts at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday.
Historically, the ground’s pitch is conducive to seam and swing and is a venue in which England always enjoy playing at.
And given the hosts are 2-0 up going into the match, Joe Root and his men will be confident about sealing the series against a below-par India.
But, has Trent Bridge been a graveyard for visiting teams down the years, or is that just a myth? We’ve taken a closer look at the stats.
A bit of a history lesson
The famous old ground has been an icon for England for well over a century, given the venue hosted its first Test match between England and Australia in 1899.
Overall, 62 Tests have been played at Trent Bridge – the eighth most out of any ground in history, with 61 involving England. Way back in 1912, a one-off clash was held between Australia and South Africa.
But of the 61 in which England have played, they have won 22 times and lost on 17 occasions, with the other matches ending in draws (22).
Although the history books suggest England’s overall record isn’t as dominant as many assume, their recent return has been excellent. Which is why touring teams probably enter the match with some deal of trepidation.
Arguably, Stuart Broad’s famous 8-15 in the resounding innings and 78-run win over Australia in the 2015 Ashes Test is the most notable, with the ball doing all sorts off the track against high-class batsmen including Steve Smith and Michael Clarke.
Since 2000, 16 Test matches have been contested at Trent Bridge and England have won nine of them – including five consecutive triumphs in 2008 (New Zealand), 2010 (Pakistan), 2011 (India), 2012 (West Indies) and their 2013 Ashes success.
In this same time frame, three matches were drawn and England suffered four defeats – with the most recent of those coming last year, against South Africa, by a huge 340-run margin.
South Africa thumped England at Trent Bridge last summer.
And then back in 2014, England and India began their five-match Test series, which ended in a 3-1 win for the hosts, with a draw.
The Men in Blue have lost twice in the five Test matches in which they have participated in at Trent Bridge.
England and India first met in a Test in 1959, with the hosts winning by an innings and 59 runs.
And then in 1996, it was a draw between the two nations. The three-match series saw Test debuts for both Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
The home side ended up winning 1-0 and six years later Trent Bridge saw another draw between the two sides, with the four-match duel finishing 1-1.
It was in 2007 though where India’s greatest triumph came. The tourists overcame England by seven wickets in the Trent Bridge Test and went on to win the series 1-0. Zaheer Khan was the star of the show then, claiming nine wickets in Nottingham.
Zaheer Khan wheels away after claiming another wicket during the 2007 Test.
England did get some revenge in 2011, winning at the Bridge by 319 runs and clinching the series 4-0 in the process, which is remembered for Kevin Pietersen’s 533-run haul and 25 wickets for Broad.
As mentioned, the most recent contest in 2014 ended in a stalemate meaning England have two wins and India have a solitary success at Trent Bridge, with two draws from the five meetings.
That record will certainly encourage India but Virat Kohli’s men will have in the back of their minds that England seem to have a habit of turning it on at Trent Bridge when the conditions work in their favour.
