Kumble's favourite hunting ground

Twenty-seven years after they won a Test series at home against Pakistan, India head into the three-Test series with a slight edge, having won the ODIs 3-2, in the process breaking a 24-year-old ODI series jinx against their traditional rivals at home.

Pakistan have the better record in Test encounters between the two, but India will be emboldened by the fact that they have not lost a Test against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the venue of the first Test.

The last Test played at the Feroz Shah Kotla between the India and Pakistan was in 1999, when Anil Kumble completed the Perfect Ten in an innings. It's no surprise that Kumble, recently appointed as Test captain, is the leading wicket-taker at the Kotla and against Pakistan in recent years.

Kumble hasn't had as great a run with the ball against Pakistan, averaging over 30 per wicket. Most of India's bowlers have been unimpressive against Pakistan, with the exception of Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, India's current bowling coach, who opened the bowling in the three Tests against Pakistan in 1999.

A legspinner - Danish Kaneria - tops the wicket-taking lists for Pakistan versus India in the same period. However, the Pakistan bowlers too haven't fared particularly well against India. The only two to average less than 25 are Wasim Akram, who took 14 wickets at 23.92 in three Tests in 1999, while Umar Gul picked up six wickets for 96 runs in the only Test he played against India, in 2004.

India's squad for the first two Tests doesn't include Virender Sehwag, which will be a relief for Pakistan's bowlers. Sehwag has an average of 91.14 in nine the Tests he's played against Pakistan. The three Indian batsmen in the middle order - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - have all performed below par against Pakistan.

Pakistan's batting will rely on Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, the two batsmen who have scored over 1000 runs against India. Both have got four hundreds against India; Younis' record is staggering, with 1061 runs in six Test at an average of 106.

Pakistan, though, will be without the services of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who's retired, and Shahid Afridi, who has performed well with both bat and ball in Tests against India.

The captain winning the toss has always opted to bat at the Kotla. However, in 28 Tests, the sides winning the toss has won only five Tests, and lost ten.

The conditions at the Kotla of late have generally favoured spinners, while the quick bowlers have got their wickets at more than 40 apiece.