India have been snaring opponents with regularity on their own turf, as Bangladesh found out the hard way
CHENNAI: They are 17 going on 18, and the sound of music in the India camp is getting sweeter by the day.
Barring Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, none of the Indian players in the current set-up know what it is to lose a Test series at home.
India have won 17 consecutive series since the loss to England in 2012, a phenomenal record. Even the opposition teams know they are virtually fighting a losing battle.
In every conversation that the Bangladeshi players or support-staff had with the media over the last few days, the refrain was: "Yes, we won in Pakistan, but Team India is a different kettle of fish."
Rohit wants to seal the World Test Championship Final berth before they leave for Australia and the first hurdle has been cleared with a resounding 280-run win against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Not just the margin of victory, it's the aura of this team playing at home that is quite incredible. It seems as if they want to increase the degree of difficulty themselves so that the team can be tested before the Australia series.
In Chennai, they chose not to play on their favoured black-soil pitch despite having the best spin troika in the world. A red-soil pitch with decent bounce seemed good preparation for Australia and after being reduced to 144/6, the batting prowess of the two bowling allrounders Ashwin and Jadeja once again underlined India's depth.
Virtually every box was ticked in Chennai barring two back-to-back low scores by the two superstars of Indian batting - Virat Kohli and Rohit. But all the others got runs and the five bowlers did what was expected of them.
"It was a great result, looking at what lies ahead. We were playing after a while but were in touch with the game. It was important that we work as a group and that's what happened here as we got the win," Rohit said.
There's hardly a grey area to worry about and it will be interesting to see what India's gameplan is for the Kanpur Test starting on Friday. There's a theory that Jasprit Bumrah shouldn't be overworked before Australia, but he has bowled only 21 overs in the first Test and there's no reason to rest him in Kanpur.
Will Kuldeep get a go?
If it is a black-soil pitch at the Green Park, there is a possibility that left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav will get a go. He was in magnificent form in the last Test series against England at home and can be a genuine wicket-taking option in Australia. If there's a chance of the ball turning a bit, the spinner should an ideal candidate in place of Akash Deep.
Not that there's any reason to drop the Bengal pacer. He got two important wickets in the first innings and looked good with the new ball but the Indian team management should look to keep Kuldeep's morale high.
1/10:Ashwin shines as India hammer Bangladesh in Chennai Test
<p>Read more on TOI Sports</p>AP
2/10:Ash-WIN Impact
<p>Ravichandran Ashwin claimed six wickets after a first-innings century with the bat to inspire India to a 280-run thrashing of Bangladesh in the first Test on Sunday.</p>AP
3/10:Shanto, the fighter
<p>The tourists, who began day four in an overcast Chennai on 158-4 and chasing 515 for victory, were bowled out for 234 in the first session with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring 82.</p>AP
4/10:Hometown hero
<p> Ashwin struck first to end a stubborn overnight stand by getting Shakib Al Hasan caught at short-leg for 25.<br /></p>AP
5/10:Premier spinner
<p>Ashwin, who took three wickets on day three, then dismissed Mehidy Hasan Miraz for one to bag his 37th five-wicket haul. The feat added to his heroics after his 113 guided the hosts to 376 in the first innings.<br /></p>AP
6/10:Najmul on duty
<p>Shakib put on 48 runs with skipper Najmul after the pair started cautiously.<br /></p>AP
7/10:Jaddu on fire
<p>Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja removed Litton Das for one after the wicketkeeper-batsman edged the ball to skipper Rohit Sharma at first slip. Jadeja ended Najmul's valiant stand and took three wickets for the innings.<br /></p>AP
8/10:Pant-astic knock
<p>India declared their second innings at 287-4 on day three after centuries from Shubman Gill, who hit an unbeaten 119, and returning Rishabh Pant, who made 109, flattened the opposition.<br /></p>AP
9/10:Poor outing
<p>The Test was also Virat Kohli's first since the birth of his second child made him miss India's 4-1 victory over England at home earlier this year. Kohli scored just six and 17.<br /></p>AP
