India gear up for Aussie fury](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
NEW DELHI (AFP) - **Sourav Ganguly’s India leave for a demanding cricket tour of Australia with history and recent form suggesting another pasting at the hands of the world champions.
India’s overseas Test record is so disappointing that even die-hard fans are reluctant to give their team a chance in the four Test matches against the formidable foes.
India have not won a Test series outside the sub-continent since 1986, having struggled even against teams with lesser talent than Australia.
They drew a two-Test series in Zimbabwe and then lost in Sri Lanka two years ago, raising doubts over the team’s ability to win abroad.
Worse, India have always fared badly in seven previous tours of Australia where they have won just three of 28 Test matches, their last victory coming in 1981.**
Ganguly’s men lost three of the four one-dayers to Australia in the recent tri-series despite the tourists’ missing the dreaded pace trio of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee.
The Indian captain was under no illusion about his team’s prospects against a full-strength Australian team which, experts believe, has forgotten how to lose.
“They really are at the top of their game,” said Ganguly, whose team will also play a tri-series in January with Zimbabwe as the third side.
“It’s going to be a hard tour. This will be a real test of our ability. All of us will have to lift our game to compete against a very, very good side.”
India’s last trip Down Under in 1999-2000 ended in a nightmare when they lost all three Tests despite a reliable batting line-up of the then captain Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Venkatsai Laxman.
Ganguly said the performances of the ‘big four’ will play a key role against a combination of fearsome fast bowling and bouncy wickets.
India’s big problem is that the batting has only a middle, but no established openers and a long tail.
Virender Sehwag has yet to show consistency, Sadagoppan Ramesh returns after spending two years in the wilderness and Akash Chopra has played just two home Tests.
If that was not enough, the retirement of pace spearhead Javagal Srinath has weakened the bowling considerably.
Ganguly conceded his bowlers faced a daunting task of taking 20 wickets in order to win a Test in Australia.
“We’ll miss Srinath, but to be honest, we’ll be bowling at some quality batsmen,” he said.
Fast bowlers Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and Laxmipathy Balaji have a combined experience of 57 Tests, while Irfan Pathan has to yet to play international cricket at the highest level.
A lot will rest on spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh even though neither has been as successful abroad as at home in recent times.
Tendulkar said only an aggressive approach would help the team against Australia.
“You have got be bold enough to face the challenges there. Take them head on. If you shy away, it’s not going to help,” said the little master, who has scored 8,882 runs in 107 Tests with 31 centuries.
“The youngsters will get a taste of what cricket is all about at the highest level. It will make them better and tougher cricketers for sure.”
Indian squad: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid (vice-capt), Akash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, Laxmipathy Balaji, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel, Deep Dasgupta.