India, Aug. 2 -- For the Indian team, the Oval Test is when they finally came face to face with English cricket conditions they had expected on the tour. The situation, after almost two months on the road (and four energy sapping games across England during an unusually hot summer) was similar to going to a big party where you meet the host only as you are about to leave.

At Old Trafford, Jadeja famously refused a handshake with Stokes to make a point. At the Oval, India could not turn down the handshake with English cricket.

Cricket, more than other sports, is impacted by conditions - the nature of the pitch and nature itself, heat, breeze, humidity, moisture, cloud cover. Conditions vary from country to country and the challenge of pl...