India look to maintain winning run against England
Buoyed by the comprehensivenine-wicket win in the series opener, a confident India will look to maintain their stranglehold over England when the second cricket Test begins here tomorrow in conditions which is expected to suit the home team spinners.
Already 1-0 up in what has been touted as the 'revenge series', another victory for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will ensure that England's quest for their first series win on Indian soil in 27 years will continue. It will also keep Indian on track for a whitewash and avenge the 4-0 defeat they suffered during their last tour to England.
India totally outplayed England in the opening game of the four-match series on a dusty bowl at Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad except for a fight back by captain Alastair Cook and wicketkeeper Matt Prior that kept them afloat till the final day after the home side took a huge 330-run first innings lead.
Barring Cook and Prior, who scored 176 and 91 in England second innings in Ahmedabad, the other visiting batsmen looked all at sea against the Indian bowling attack led by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha who emerged with a nine-wicket haul.
The match at Wankhede Stadium tomorrow would also be significant with Virender Sehwag set to become the only ninth
Indian player to feature in 100 Tests. The form of the dashing opener, who hit a run-a-ball 117
in India's massive first innings, would be crucial again in the outcome of the second match and, in fact, in the whole series.
India, however, may miss the services of pacer Umesh Yadav who picked up a lower back injury while trying to get some extra pace and bounce on unresponsive Motera track during the first match. Yadav's injury has brought Ishant Sharma into the picture as a possible replacement.
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