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Now... or never

The Australian Tour, considered the acid test for any side, is here. Much has been written and said about India's chances and it has also caused a fair bit of controversy.

Past performances, not only of the Indian teams touring Australia but even of the rest of the world, have always been disappointing.Their domestic cricket, being a standard which the other nations strive to emulate or achieve, has provided the grounding for some incredible athleticism and performances. This breeding ground of cricket coupled with the fast bouncy pitches is an extremely daunting prospect for any visiting side.

The Pakistanis, considered by many, as the most talented bowling side in the world have found themselves on the receiving end, sending the already modest expectations plummeting even further in India.

The Indians on their part have had their share of problems. The experience of Ajay Jadeja will be missed but not as much as that of Azaharuddin, who was desperately required to bolster the batting under such severe cricketing conditions, especially when compared with the likes of Kanitkar and Bharadwaj.

A selectorial decision which has been quite inexplicable to say the least -- there seems to be no reasonable argument put forward as to why Azhar is not part of this most important tour, ending the Millenium and starting another.

Having said that, I feel that despite their recent successes lending an aura of invincibility to them, this is far from being the best Austrilian side in the last decade.Their strength is in their batting and supreme fitness, and in a depth which on current form is awesome. They hammered Pakistan without the Waugh twins really firing. They have some very exciting batsman, but there is a hint of vulnerability to their bowling.

The Indians traditionally fear only sheer pace, and this Aussie side seems to be lacking in that area. McGrath, though a great bowler, is no longer fiery and is now relying mainly on skill and experience. Fleming is the one in form but of modest pace. Warne, a world beater can always be relied upon to bowl well but has a question mark against his effectiveness when pitted against Indian ability to handle spin anywhere in the world.The Aussies play with four bowlers and are sorely missing the injured Gillespie. Thus the fourth bowler too is not a certainty. I feel that this absence of the fourth bowler, coupled with the fact that they are lacking the pace associated with Australian cricket, is an area to be exploited by the Indians.

This is the first time that there are three world class batsmen in the Indian team. Ganguly, Dravid and Tendulkar have matured and have a tremendous record to boot. Each one of them feels that he is the one the side is relying on, to win matches. Although the rest, other than Laxman, have struggled so far on tour, if the openers can bat out the new ball, the three in the middle could prove to be devastating. Also importantly, India is playing in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Two of these grounds are known to favour spin in a five day contest, which should suit the Indians just fine.

Moreover Kumble, the spearhead, should be feeling a lot better after the victory over the New South Wales team in Sydney. The fact that Perth and Brisbane (the site of the first tour match, which the Indians lost) which are known for pace and bounce are not part of the itinerary, should also be to the advantage of the Indians.

I think that it all boils down to the mental state of the two teams. The Aussies are traditionally an arrogantly confident lot, who with the recent successes at the World Cup and the 3-0 demolition of Pakistan would be raring to go. But then again, the recent utterance by Steve Waugh could be psychological warfare, but to me it also looks like being a touch over confident. The Indians on the other hand need a dose of energy to perk them up. If they can begin to believe that they can win, I am sure they have it in them to stun the Aussies.

They have to realise that this is a tremendous opportunity. Australia, the undisputed no.1 team in the world, strangely appear to be vulnerable at their peak. The Sri Lankans underlined this fact by beating them recently, albeit on home turf.

It is important that the Indians gather themselves, focus all their energies and enter the fray firing on all cylinders. The wait and watch policy traditionally favoured by the Indians on tour has always been their undoing. Consequently, they have invariably lost the first test of a tour. The Aussies have to be hit and hit hard at the start of the series, when they may be just, a wee bit complacent.

I am by no means suggesting that India will definitly win the series. All I feel is that this Indian team has a better chance of beating the Australians then any other before them.

Arun Lal