How the tables have turned! A couple of weeks back Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his Team India were seeking redemption. This one-off T20 International at the Eden Gardens on Saturday is a first for the venue, and after getting thumped in all formats of the game in England, India will not want to give an inch away.
And though Dhoni himself has shunned the idea of this being deemed a revenge series throughout the one-dayers, for the fans this T20 tie is something that counts for more. A yearly dose of the Indian Premier League has shown them a different side of cricket and now that they are addicted to it, a win on the weekend to them is the all-important icing on the revenge cake.
The city resonated the same pulse and signs of that were reflected on the mounting tickets sales and the familiar hankering for passes at the BC Roy Club House, something that was conspicuously absent before the One-day International here on Diwali eve.
For India, ranked fifth on the ICC's T20 rankings list, T20 International is something they don't play as often as the other formats even though they won the inaugural edition of the World Cup in 2007, which incidentally, is the only time India had defeated England in 20 overs. But what could make the difference is the winning habit India have developed since landing home. The 5-0 drubbing has given them confidence as has England's faltering batting and inability to play spin in these slow conditions.