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Mumbai: Buoyed by the comprehensive nine-wicket win in the series opener, a confident India will look to maintain their stranglehold over England when the second Test begins on Friday 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 Dhoni's men will ensure that England's quest for their first series win on Indian soil in 27 years will continue.
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 fightback by captain Alastair Cook (176 & 41) and wicketkeeper Matt Prior (91 & 47) that kept them afloat till the final day after the home side took a huge 330-run first innings lead.
The form of the dashing opener Virendra Sehwag, who hit a run-a-ball 117 in India's massive first innings, would be crucial again in the outcome of the 100th Test match.
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.
Zaheer Khan, who used the old ball craftily in tightening the screws on England on an unresponsive pitch at Ahmedabad, will spearhead the attack.
Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who was honoured on Wednesday by the cricket board for his incredible achievement of scoring a 100 international hundreds, strangely has hit only one Test ton at his home ground -- 148 as captain against Sri Lanka in 1997.
Meanwhile, lost Ian Bell, though he was a flop in Ahmedabad. The middle order mainstay has flown home to be at the side of his wife who is expecting their child. 26-year-old left-handed batsman Eoin Morgan is talked about as his replacement in the eleven.
It would be interesting to see whether left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who was surprisingly omitted at Ahmedabad, plays at this venue where he celebrated his maiden Test wicket, that of Tendulkar, by running all the way to the boundary line six years ago.
If Panesar gets the nod, one of the three seam bowlers who all flopped at Ahmedabad -- James Anderson, vice-captain Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan -- would be out of the eleven.
There is also the likelihood of Samit Patel, who failed in the series opener, giving way to reserve wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow if Panesar is included to bowl left-arm spin.
Teams from
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay and Ashok Dinda.
England: Alastair Cook (captain), Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Matt Prior (wk), Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Meaker.
Pitch & conditions
There is significant amount of dewfall in the morning here which should help the pace bowlers in the first session of match days with the track sweating under the covers.
Stats & trivia
Match facts
November 23-27, 2012
Start time 09:30 (04:00 GMT)
