The challenge is familiar for England’s tourists. In Visakhapatnam the India spinners eventually suffocated their opponents, just as they have New Zealand and South Africa in the last year. The old order was restored as Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with a little help from the newcomer, Jayant Yadav, patiently undermined batsmen, some of whom have never experienced the peculiar torment of being trapped and then exposed in the final innings of an Indian Test match. They were surrounded by vulturine fieldsmen yet seldom have they felt more lonely.
There is, however, something new and imposing about this India Test side. They may be more athletic in the field than any of their predecessors. The catching has been far from flawless, especially in Rajkot, but the ground fielding is hitting fresh heights, especially if the comparison is with the “golden” days of Bedi, Chandrasekhar, Prasanna, Vishwanath and Gavaskar, when, in common with most other international teams, they tended to meander around the outfield at a more leisurely, comfortable pace. In those days a dive was nothing other than a disreputable nightclub.
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