England will probably not get a better opportunity to force a win in this series than they did in Ahmedabad. India seemed to let things drift in the second Test, especially after getting through England's top order on the first day, and allowed Craig White and James Foster to build a substantial partnership. I don't see India being as complacent in Bangalore. The inclusion of Sarandeep Singh will strengthen the bowling, making it that much tougher for England to get the runs on the board. I can't help but think back to the declaration that never came at Motera. That was a great opportunity for Nasser Hussain to put the home team under pressure, and maybe even force a win. What an achievement that would have been, considering their inexperience and lack of star names in the line-up.

The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been relaid, which suggests that the bounce will be true. However, the basic nature of the wicket will be largely unchanged – the seamers will extract some bounce from the surface, and the spinners will get significant turn. Which means England will have another test on their hands, against a team that will be better prepared and less complacent.

The Indians should learn from the Ahmedabad Test and go into this match with five bowlers. It's very tempting to leave out Tinu Yohannan, but that'll make the team lopsided, and if the surface does aid seamers, Sourav Ganguly could end up ruing that decision.

India have a good enough top six, in home conditions, to leave out a specialist batsman at number seven and play five bowlers. Virender Sehwag hasn't done much wrong since making his Test debut, but team balance should take precedence over individual claims, and if Sehwag needs to sit this Test out, then so be it.

I look forward to seeing Sarandeep and Harbhajan Singh operate in tandem. Harbhajan hasn't bowled at his best, even though he has 13 wickets in two Tests, and this match will be an excellent opportunity to compare their styles. Sarandeep's presence might spur Harbhajan to up his performance a notch.

Anil Kumble's resurgence is the best news for India. After a less-than-impressive performance in South Africa, fears were raised about Kumble's effectiveness post-surgery. He has laid all those doubts to rest.

England have made huge strides since the first Test. Four of their batsmen – Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain and Craig White – have played long innings. Having done it before, they should back themselves to tackle the Indian spinners and put a decent score on the board. Richard Dawson and Ashley Giles looked the part, and England's performance has exceeded most expectations.

The series has come back to life, thanks to their strong comeback at Ahmedabad. But Indian pride has been hurt, and I expect them to hit back in the third Test.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to S Rajesh.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd