England face a perilous trial by spin as they bid to win their first Test series in India in 27 years when the four-match contest opens in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The newly-laid wicket at the Motera stadium, expected to assist spin over the five days, will suit a home team desperate to avenge the 4-0 humiliation in England last year.
England proved vulnerable against the turning ball away from home this year, losing 3-0 to Pakistan in the UAE in January-February before forcing a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka in March.
India will use two frontline spinners – possibly three if a rank turner is provided – to bamboozle England in the four Tests in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has taken 42 wickets in five home Tests, and slow left-armer Pragyan Ojha, 63 from 12 games at home, will be skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s main weapons.
Waiting in the wings is recalled off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, whose 406 scalps in 98 Tests make him the leading wicket-taker among the current crop of bowlers.
Dhoni, under pressure to deliver after India’s two successive 4-0 defeats in England and Australia, has openly called on groundsmen across India to prepare turning wickets.
The tourists go into the first Test with all their top batsmen finding form in the three warm-up matches, albeit against mediocre opposition lacking top-class spin bowlers.
Cook, the recalled Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Samit Patel and Jonny Bairstow have hit centuries, while Nick Compton set himself up for a debut in Ahmedabad with three half-centuries.
James Anderson will spearhead the pace attack with Stuart Broad said to have recovered from his foot injury. Pacer Steven Finn, however, is unlikely to be picked for the first Test in order to rest his hamstring.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann, who flew home briefly to attend to his sick daughter, will return as the frontline slow bowler with support from Patel and Monty Panesar.
India had an emphatic 2-0 Test win at home against lowly New Zealand in August before being ousted in the second round of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
Sachin Tendulkar’s future will be a talking point during the series after the record-breaking batsman admitted last month that the clock was ticking on his 23-year career. He was bowled in all three innings against New Zealand with a top score of just 27. Another poor display could hasten Tendulkar’s exit.
Accountability
Rahul Dravid wants India coach Duncan Fletcher to be given more powers and his role be made more hands-on in order to make the most of his ability.
“Duncan has a lot of strengths as a coach,” Dravid told ESPNCricinfo. “But, in some ways, the scope or power that he has to make decisions or to make selections has been a little limited.
“You want to give people powers and you want to hold them accountable, especially when you have senior, knowledgeable people like Duncan.”
THE GAMECHANGERS…
R Ashwin (India)
Tests: 8, Wickets: 49, Best: 6/31, Avg: 26.63, Five-fors: 5
Ashwin at home is a different proposition. His variations and quick action make him lethal on tracks with turn and bounce. He took 18 wickets in two Tests against the Kiwis this year.
Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
Tests: 5, Runs: 323, Top score: 159, Avg: 40.37, 100s: 1
Pujara has for long been seen as a natural successor to the now-retired Rahul Dravid. Injuries delayed his career but the 24-year-old now has a chance to make the No3 spot his own.
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Tests: 190, Runs: 15,533, Top score: 248*, Avg: 55.08, 100s: 51
The master batsman has admitted he is closing in on the end of his career and this series will be the one where we get to assess how much longer Tendulkar can go on.
Kevin Pietersen (England)
Tests: 88, Runs: 7076, Top score: 227, Avg: 49.48, 100s: 21
How England fare will depend on how Pietersen bats and how his reintegration process pans out. His experience on Indian wickets is invaluable.
Graeme Swann (England)
Tests: 46, Wickets: 192, Best: 6/65, Avg: 29.58, Five-fors: 13
Swann said that it will need a team effort to scalp 20 wickets, but there is no doubt that the Nottinghamshire tweaker is England’s main weapon.
Alastair Cook (England)
Tests: 83, Runs: 6555, Top score: 294, Avg: 47.84, 100s: 20
Cook couldn’t have asked for a tougher assignment in his first major series as skipper. But for the finest opener in world cricket, this is an opportunity to make a mark in a country where he made a century on debut.
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