India were brought smack-bang down to earth by England in the first T20, with that win on Republic Day giving the away team their second consecutive win on this tour.
This is not a nightmare trip anymore for England, who have found their mojo in the last couple of matches, with the first T20 in Kanpur completely and utterly dominated by Eoin Morgan's side.
Virat Kohli has done swimmingly well to get India on a winning run and keep them there, but the true test for a great captain is how he and his team bounce back; how they react to adversity.
Kohli made a few doesn't-make-sense decisions in that first T20, particularly when he allowed Eoin Morgan and Joe Root to milk the singles even when the required run rate was at the six-seven runs an over mark.
For someone who always likes to be on the front foot, Kohli is not exactly an always-attacking captain, and while that can be a good thing sometimes, it can also work against you.
The first T20, when Morgan and Root were batting together, was clearly a time when he should have kept attacking – losing the match with four overs to spare or two overs would not have made a difference. But, if Kohli wanted to try and make a game of it in the second innings after his batsmen flopped, he needed to be more attacking by keeping more men in the 30-yard circle and trying to create pressure.
Maybe if he had his favourite control bowler – Ravindra Jadeja – he might have done it, but that is something Kohli can definitely improve upon – and knowing him, he will – as a captain.
How good India's powers of bouncebackability are will also be put to the test, especially against this England team who seem to revel in the T20 format.
They have the bowlers to cause problems to the opposing batsmen and with a batting lineup as strong as that – the likes of Jonny Bairstow cannot find a place in the XI – no score will be safe.
The toss, as it always is, will be important, and there is little doubt that the winning captain will choose to bowl first. India are a different beast when they chase and maybe a bit of luck with the coin is what they need to get back in this three-match T20 series and keep it alive – because if England win on Sunday, the series is done.
India vs England: 2nd T20 schedule.
Date: Sunday, January 29.
Time: 7pm IST, 1.30pm GMT, 8.30am ET.
Venue: VCA Stadium, Nagpur.
TV guide for the second T20:
India: Star Sports HD1, Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD3 and Star Sports 3.
England: Sky Sports 2.
New Zealand: Sky Sport 1.
Australia: Fox Sports 2 and Fox Sports 3.
USA and Canada: Willow TV.
South Africa: SuperSport2.
Middle East: OSN Sports Cricket HD.
