Pujara, Vijay could iron out minor kinks

Somewhere between taking off from Visakhapatnam and touching down in Mohali, England would have run into a dear old friend.

Winter.

It's set quite nicely in the north and although the temperatures would not dip as low as they do at home for them, Alastair Cook and his men would know they have one less thing to fight against in India. The heat.

They are also likely to notice a drop in the crowd. The PCA IS Bindra Stadium had hummed to Virat Kohli the last time he was here - an ODI against New Zealand - and could not believe what he was doing to Australia the time before that - at the World T20. There is hope that they would be just as interested in watching him perform as India's Test captain, but it is not the strongest.

There are other potential pick-me-ups for England, assuming they have looked at the data.

M Vijay averages 43 when in the first Test of a series but it dips to 25.50 by the time the fourth arrives. Cheteshwar Pujara has a similar downward trend - 70.55 slips to 36.50. They have played only one five-match series before - against England in 2014 - and the sample is too small to indicate a trend. For the record though, Vijay averages 10 and Pujara 7.50 in the fifth Test of a series.

Both men scored near-flawless hundreds in Rajkot. But in the first innings in Visakhapatnam, Vijay was bounced out in the fifth over. The surprise that had been in England's eyes for the longest time had barged into his own as the new ball leapt up to take the glove and loop over to gully.

A delivery at his throat would not be the first thing on a batsman's mind when the game is barely into its first half hour. Further still if the bowler was James Anderson, a man known to take his wickets with swing, seam and guile. But Vijay just wasn't ready for the ball that bested him even though it had pitched halfway down the pitch. While its line - right on off stump - was perfect, there is an argument that had Vijay been more alert to the length he might have dropped his wrists and swayed away. Instead, he tried to defend and the ball thudded into his top which was up around head height.

This could well be reading too much into a batsman undone by a good 'un before he could get set and Vijay has had his share of them in the recent past against New Zealand - two in the Kolkata Test and a rip-roaring catch at short leg in Indore - along with incidents like the second innings at Holkar Stadium where he did not put in a dive to prevent himself getting run-out. A player of his caliber - the gift of timing, endless reserves of patience and shots all around the park - should have had a much better series by now. Culling out the minor carelessness in his game may well be the key.

Pujara is a tad less easy to categorise as lax. He is, however, a nervous starter, especially against deliveries moving into him and it was Anderson again who exploited this weakness with a superb display of reverse swing in the second innings in Visakhapatnam. Twenty-six of his 62 dismissals are either bowled or lbw. Oppositions tend to take note of that and if conditions are such that there may be swing in the air - like in Mohali on a wintry morning - Pujara will have his work cut out. He probably would not have it any other way. Vijay too. They've beaten tough odds before.

India do not often play lengthy Test series. Touring South Africa in 2013, their bowlers could not handle back-to-back Tests. The first they drew. The second and final they lost. In 2016, though, they outpaced West Indies quite handsomely over four matches. Well three, considering the rain and outfield in Trinidad. They held New Zealand off superbly at home and are living up to the standards they have set for themselves.

Kohli is at the centre of this revolution. He thrives on any kind of pressure, whether it is making sure he scores because there are only five batsmen in the side or showing that pitches don't matter when you have intent or keeping his performances up. The Indian captain averages 51, 44, 50 and 56 in the first, second, third and fourth Tests of a series. He is the one England are most worried about so he is the one his team-mates will do well to follow.