What does Faisalabad have in store?

Sachin Tendulkar returns to the venue where he scored his first Test fifty © AFP

It's been exactly two weeks since India landed in Pakistan but for all practical purposes the series will probably start here at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The tour game at the Bagh-e-Jinnah was more like a carnival; the first Test at Lahore, more like a batsman's party interrupted by the gloom. Now we're down to a two-Test shoot-out on a pitch that would probably rival the one at the Gaddafi Stadium as a batting paradise. A lot has changed since India arrived; yet nothing much has changed in the context of the series. And how much ever one talks about psychological advantages and statements made, the first session's play tomorrow can easily change all equations.

Teams

With the batting line-ups in a bullish state, it is unlikely that either side would make any changes to the ones that turned out at Lahore. Before the game, there were concerns about Inzamam-ul-Haq's back and Shoaib Akhtar's ankle, but both appear to have brushed off niggles as they geared up on match eve. Inzamam, who reeled off two hundreds in his previous game here, clearly stated that there wouldn't be any changes in the batting line-up, adding that they were looking at options in the bowling department. The only likely change is Mohammad Sami, erratic and flat at Lahore, giving way to Mohammad Asif, the 23-year-old fast bowler yet to play a Test after his debut at Sydney in 2005.

India were unlikely to tinker with their line-up, despite the treatment meted out to the bowlers in the previous Test, and one would expect them to pick both their world-class spinners, rather than risk a third seamer on a belter of a surface.

Drawing a blank

Three of the last four games at Faisalabad have ended in draws and it may require, as Rahul Dravid put it, "one session of brilliance" to conjure up a result in this one. Sanath Jayasuriya's whirlwind double-hundred steered Sri Lanka to an emphatic win two Tests back while England played out a drama-filled contest, highlighted by a gas canister going off, exactly two months ago, clinging on to a draw on the final day. If the sun has its say, there is no reason to not expect a fierce battle here.

Opening conundrums

Just as Shoaib Malik's half-century in the previous Test helped Pakistan get closer to finding a settled opening pair, Rahul Dravid's hundred, his first as captain, presented India with a pleasant dilemma. While speaking to the press, Dravid hinted that he would continue to open, though he reiterated that it wasn't a long-term option. For the last few days, most talk has centered around a certain Virender Sehwag, who averages a colossal 112.36 against Pakistan, and there is no betting against him repeating the savagery he displayed at Lahore. India's real test would come if the top order falls cheaply and it would be interesting to see if the lower order can respond like they did against Sri Lanka when put under the hammer. Pakistan have already shown their lower-order might, and not too many teams possess a wicketkeeper who has managed four international hundreds in the last month.

Return of the king

Of the 16 members in the Indian side, only Sachin Tendulkar has played in Faisalabad before. It will be a happy return to the ground where he made his first Test fifty, after which he was convinced that he could handle cricket at this level.

More frolic, more atmosphere

Two months ago, packed houses watched the Test against England and all signs point to a similar turnout for the next few days. The murkiness of Lahore has given way to sunny skies on the last two here; the lukewarm response of the Lahoris, to one of buoyant anticipation. Locals point to the festive flavour that accompany games here and a relatively smaller Iqbal Stadium could well produce a run-filled cracker.

Pakistan (likely) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Shoaib Malik, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Danish Kaneria

India (likely) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Rahul Dravid (capt), 3 VVS Laxman, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Sourav Ganguly, 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Ajit Agarkar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Anil Kumble