Test cricket will be the flavour of the season as India host England for an eagerly anticipated five Test series, starting next week.
India have an enviable record at home, not having suffered a Test series defeat in the last 10 years.
Interestingly, India's last Test series loss at home came against England in 2012-2013 when the visitors clinched a memorable 2-1 series win. However, India set the record straight winning 4-0 and 3-1 in England's next two trips.
In fact, India have gone on to win 16 straight home series since that shock loss.
England, though, have a good record in India over the years. Having started off with a 2-0 victory on their first tour to India in 1933-1934, England have won five out of 16 series played, with India winning eight and three series have ended in draws.
They also enjoy a upperhand in their recent head-to-head clashes. Since 2011 in the seven series played, England have won four, while India have emerged victorious twice and their last clash in England finished in a 2-2 draw.
Overall, the two countries have played each other in 35 bilateral series with England leading the count with 19 series win, while India have won 11 and five finished in draws.
Ever since Ben Stokes assumed the captaincy and Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach in 2022, the Bazball tactics have worked wonderfully for England in the last couple of years.
Following the shock 1-0 defeat in the West Indies in 2022 after which they completely changed their playing style, England have gone unbeaten in the last six series, winning four out of them -- including a 3-0 series sweep in Pakistan.
The five-match series against India will be a true test of England's credentials, who will be keen to assert themselves and hope the Bazball tactics is a perfect counter to Ravinchandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on turning tracks.
The series opener will be held at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad where India have won four of the five Tests played by big margins.
The second Test will be staged at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam where India had thrashed England by 246 runs in 2016.
The third game will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot which made its Test debut in 2016 featuring India and England in a drawn contest, while the hosts won their second game at the venue against the West Indies two years later.
The Jharkhand State Cricket Association international stadium in Ranchi is the venue for the fourth Test where India have played two Tests, beating South Africa by 202 runs while the previous game against Australia ended in a high-scoring draw.
The fifth and final Test will be played at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh cricket stadium in Dharamsala which has staged only one Test so far, in which India outclassed Australia by eight wickets in 2017.
A look at the schedule of the India-England Test series:
