But the flipside of that is, if India take the lead, it also makes them very hard to dislodge. Also, given it's a home series, if India go behind, the curators will definitely not prepare a road. It's much more likely to be a dustbowl, where it'd be hard to back against India, especially given their recent history of fighting back in series.
Think SA/Ind series. If England win a series, they will have to win on a dustbowl unless another curator has a personal gripe against the BCCI ala Nagpur vs. Australia in 2004.
Yeah you're so right! I mean, it's on dust bowls that India have won 14 our of their last 27 tests losing only 3. They must be taking a filled vacuum cleaner everywhere they go.
Don't think India loses anymore on that track too as a certainty.
The majority of the batting lineup has played in the subcontinent and specifically in India. Out of all of them only Trott and the replacement for Collingwood can be said to be unproven against spin. Prior, Bell and Cook are all excellent players of spin. Also, spinners bowl in pairs, and no matter how well Harbhajan bowls, I dont think any of the Ojha, Mishra, Chawla bowlers will be able to apply the same kind of pressure at the other end.
That's a bit exaggerating the truth.
Hmm.. in recent Tests Zaheer has been leading our attack at home rather than the spinners.
India win games on the strength of their batting, not their bowling. This has especially been the case since Kumble retired. If you pile 600 on the board, even the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain are bound to look dangerous.
You are right again! This time India will be against Prior, Bell, and Cook - all excellent players of spin.
Ojha and Harbhajan bowled decently well together against Australia ,IIRC.
Tbf, Only 2 of India's 6 non Bdesh wins in the post 2010-11 period have come on the back of 500+ first Innings totals compared to 4 in 7 for England.
Prior scored 53* and it was as flawless as any innings from an English/South African batsman that tour (failed in one inning last time). Prior's record against Murali in SL is quite good and hes racked up a fair amount of runs on A tours to the subcontinent.
Have you been watching India's recent test cricket? I can think of at least six tests in the last year and a half which India have won against decent batting sides on decent batting surfaces. Three against Sri Lanka, two against Australia and one against South Africa.
I was referring to their wins at home. Obviously abroad scoring 500-600 isnt exactly a likely proposition.
Yes you are right, that was my mistake. The point I was trying to make is that they have won a lot of games on the strength of their batting. Their bowling taken alone is pretty weak especially on the flatter tracks.
You are referring to South Africa at home or away?
That's not been really true in the last six months. The batting didn't do anything special in the two wins against Australia or the win in Sri Lanka. It was the bowlers who put India in a winning position in each game.
