Littered largely with lopsided contests, India's hopes of walking down that familiar path will hinge on sorting an uncharacteristic batting infirmity against spin when they face Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting in Chennai from Thursday.
Bangladesh, who are fresh from a recent 2-0 drubbing of Pakistan, are no pushovers this time and this will add to India's list of concerns as they look to take that bold first step into a long season that features 10 Tests, including a possible berth in the World Test Championship Final.
India's 40-4 (win-loss) home record in the last decade is awe-inducing but there is an ever-little crack, which is getting more pronounced in the past three years, particularly in the case of star batter Virat Kohli.
Kohli was a constant in India's bull run at home since 2015, crunching runs for fun against all comers. But since 2021, his numbers against spin have dipped -an average of 30 in 15 Tests in this period.