India do not, however, have the greatest of records in recent years at the Wankhede. They have won only five of the last 10 Tests that have taken place at the grand old Mumbai stadium, of which three have been losses to England (twice), Australia and South Africa.

The last time India lost at the Wankhede was also the last time they lost a series at home, when England spun to a 2-1 series victory. It was a 10-wicket win for England on the day, with Kevin Pietersen’s remarkable first innings score of 186 inspiring the Brits to a famous win. More crucially — drawing parallels with the defeat in Pune — it had been the Indian batsmen that were found out, exposing their weaknesses against spin with Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, who picked up 19 out of the 20 wickets in the match.

Friday’s encounter may also include an all-crucial toss. Three of the other four defeats India have suffered at the Wankhede Stadium since the turn of the millennium have been on turners where the chasing team has emerged victorious. That includes Australia’s 10-wicket win in 2001, and South Africa’s four-wicket win in 2000 (in the aforementioned whitewash).