Not strangely, everyone playing that hard-fought game of makeshift football on Thursday morning was happy with the result. Team India have learnt to celebrate each other’s successes, and even the Chennai victory against England was a by-product of that sentiment of bonhomie.

In seven years after India’s historic Kolkata win against Australia, no team has ever enforced the follow-on against India. And after Chennai, another trend is likely to emerge — sporting declarations may soon be out of the equation, while fourth innings targets will probably be a safe 450-plus.

For the moment though, it’s the PCA Stadium in Mohali for the second Test, where another win or even a draw would suffice for India to get officially certified as the world’s number two team.

Operation Sehwag

England have had little time to recuperate from the damaging loss in the first game, and skipper Kevin Pietersen is already in two minds about an XI that can at best contain the same Indian team that had played the first Test. High on England’s agenda is finding a way to tackle Sehwag, and it wouldn’t be surprising if short bowling, and a man on the third-man boundary for the upper-cut, comes into the picture again.

Another man in focus in this Test match is Rahul Dravid, whose form is rocky but whose place in the XI is safe, at least till India are winning. Dravid will be determined to get back among the runs here on a dry pitch that might well be on the slower side.

But there will still be ample opportunities for the bowlers on this track because of the cold weather, and the theory of bowling cross-seam — for that early reverse swing that undid Australia — can be safely thrown out of the window because the early nip is likely to assist conventional swing in the first two hours on each day.

‘Light’ worry for England

With an attack made up predominantly of seamers, Pietersen might be left in a spot of bother to get the overs completed in regulation time with the light expected to dip sharply after 4.15 pm local time. The hosts have a distinct advantage on that front with spinners Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra, and even Sehwag, as great options.

England are looking to play an extra pacer in Stuart Broad in place of Monty Panesar, while Ian Bell is also likely to lose his place to Owais Shah. That’s a call that Pietersen will take Friday morning. But his most important decision will come if he wins the toss: Does he bat first to make India chase again?