Aussies head to India for Test tour
Monday, 22 September 2008
SYDNEY, Sep 21 (AP): Australia left Sunday for its four-test tour of India with captain Ricky Ponting claiming underdog status for his side in the showdown between the two cricket powers.
"There's no doubt they (India) have got a lot more experience than we have going into this series," Ponting said at Sydney airport with his squad of 15 players, only four of whom have played a Test in India.
Ponting said he had no reservations about security in India despite recent incidents there, including a series of bombings last weekend in New Delhi that killed more than 20 people.
Australia was one of the nations that successfully lobbied for the postponement of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. More than 50 people were killed and over 200 injured by a terrorist attack on Islamabad's Marriott Hotel Saturday.
"Our advice was not to go to Pakistan and the advice that we received the last few weeks to tour India has been positive," Ponting said.
Australia will play warm-up matches in Jaipur and Hyderabad before the first Test starting Oct 9 at Bangalore.
Ponting said he expected a tough but fair series in India, after relations between the teams was strained in the controversial series in Australia that ended in February.
"There's been a very healthy rivalry between India and Australia in one-day and test cricket and our last few test encounters have been very good and some very close results," Ponting said.
"Hopefully this is another great series played in the right spirit."
Ponting has scored only one 50 in 14 test innings in India, where he averages just 12 as opposed to his career mark of 58.
"I've had a couple of disappointing test series (in India). In 2001, I made next to no runs," Ponting said. "The last series over there that we won, I broke my thumb and missed the first three tests and came back for the last one, and that was the only one we lost.
"It's certainly a void in my cricket resume in India and I'm hoping to rectify that over the next six or seven weeks."
Ponting said at least one and possibly both of the two uncapped spinners, Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza, were in contention to start the series. He said allrounder Shane Watson would give the side the same lineup flexibility that it had with Andrew Symonds, who will miss the series after being stood down for disciplinary breaches.
"There's no doubt they (India) have got a lot more experience than we have going into this series," Ponting said at Sydney airport with his squad of 15 players, only four of whom have played a Test in India.
Ponting said he had no reservations about security in India despite recent incidents there, including a series of bombings last weekend in New Delhi that killed more than 20 people.
Australia was one of the nations that successfully lobbied for the postponement of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. More than 50 people were killed and over 200 injured by a terrorist attack on Islamabad's Marriott Hotel Saturday.
"Our advice was not to go to Pakistan and the advice that we received the last few weeks to tour India has been positive," Ponting said.
Australia will play warm-up matches in Jaipur and Hyderabad before the first Test starting Oct 9 at Bangalore.
Ponting said he expected a tough but fair series in India, after relations between the teams was strained in the controversial series in Australia that ended in February.
"There's been a very healthy rivalry between India and Australia in one-day and test cricket and our last few test encounters have been very good and some very close results," Ponting said.
"Hopefully this is another great series played in the right spirit."
Ponting has scored only one 50 in 14 test innings in India, where he averages just 12 as opposed to his career mark of 58.
"I've had a couple of disappointing test series (in India). In 2001, I made next to no runs," Ponting said. "The last series over there that we won, I broke my thumb and missed the first three tests and came back for the last one, and that was the only one we lost.
"It's certainly a void in my cricket resume in India and I'm hoping to rectify that over the next six or seven weeks."
Ponting said at least one and possibly both of the two uncapped spinners, Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza, were in contention to start the series. He said allrounder Shane Watson would give the side the same lineup flexibility that it had with Andrew Symonds, who will miss the series after being stood down for disciplinary breaches.