You see blood in eyes, you feel the power in your palms, you see standards going beyond all levels; you see history being made and often written by your own hands, You see the whole world taking notice; you feel the force with you and you see only and only win as losing is not an option when you face mighty Australia

Aussies are in India for all important test series and ODI’s, not for the first time but this series certainly is going to be the most important one for both sides as we have already seen the buildup when Indians went to the Island and gave a tough fight and even clinched the ODI trophy, Ponting will surely have those scars open and fresh. The challenge this time is not just to return the favor but also to prove the supremacy, which has become the talking point since when India beat Australia in the famous 2001 series in their own backyard but with both teams ageing especially in the longer version of the game, we have a contest on our hands. Players like Laxman & Dravid who single handedly showed the way out to Kangaroos are today more worried about saving their own place in the team while the Oz have come with quite an inexperienced side especially in the bowling department, Experts say that the current Australian squad will have to do beyond what the had been doing to re establish their dominance, So will India be able to match up!

Rivalry Quotient

World champions have proved their mettle to their world and have dominated every team but if one team has repeatedly come in their path of victory, it is Team India, No other team has challenged Australia as often as the T 20 champions have and that too on different playing conditions, be it home or neutral, Many of us might argue the point that India has still a lot to do to match the levels of kangaroos in the longer version of the game but no denying to the fact that in the past few years especially in the last series, India has proved that it can give Aussies a good run for their money. Whenever two teams battle it out in whites there is a sudden increase in adrenaline of players and you can see even an average player touching new highs, In short it’s the clash of two titans that brings out the best from the players

Owing to the factors mentioned above, even God (Read: Sachin Tendulkar) did comment that India vs. Australia is now a bigger rivalry than India vs. Pakistan, so come October 9, don’t be surprised if you see few curfews and leaves in your office, after all it’s best vs. better than the best contest

Players Form

It is not a surprise that experts all round the world are looking at Australia with a different eye today, According to Ian Chappell, Australia’s primacy can be challenged since half of their team have hung up their boots. Clearly with the absence of Mc Grath & Warne, the attack looks little toothless; It will be up to Brett Lee & co. to carry the responsibility on its shoulders, The aussies look quite ok in batting department with one causality of Symonds who could have made a huge difference to the team’s balance, Not just he is a good player of spin, his aggression can turn around the match at any given point. The home team too looks wary with the all time great middle order facing the surprising identity crisis and must be under huge pressure to deliver. Saurav’s exclusion from Irani trophy could translate to non-inclusion in to national side, which in my opinion handing over too much in terms of hospitality to the visitors, Yuvraj Singh too is under pressure with his poor form, though the opening pair looks formidable which is good news as Indians have struggled for quite some time to find answers to the opening woes. Ishant in particular would be seeing blood after his successful debut against visitors and less said would be better for Bhajji who would be raring to go against Oz more so for emotional reasons! This series is perhaps the last chance for seniors to save their falling grace and much deserved fitting farewell which looks not too far and I hope Kumble realizes the fact as his captaincy has also been under scanner since he has been asked to take up the role after Dravid resigned from the position

Playing conditions

Though Australians will be starting their tour at the outset of autumn, considering the temperature they are used to in their home It will still be pretty hot for them and with almost half the team playing first time on Asian soil, things can go beyond just being “hot” humidity and turning tracks are nothing new on Indian pitches however it should give a lot of peace to the like of Lee that last time SA beat India with pacers taking 19 of 20 wickets which establishes the fact that Indians are shaky against swing & bounce irrespective of surface. From India’s perspective, weapons of mass destruction in the form of Kumble & Harbhajan must fire in order to make any impact….

Cricket Controversies
India vs. Australia has become a synonym with controversies. Last tour down under was no less than a disaster in terms of un fair play and personal fights and Harbhajan must be missing Symonds most for the same reason however his other aides will be there and you can expect a lot more verbal volleys than googley if things go out of control, hope fully both teams have learnt their lesson and we will get to see pure cricket with no malice however knowing the Australian style of playing the game, it would be hard to expect no action!

Watch out for players who have been under scanner for some time especially Sachin & Laxman and I am sure they will have few surprises up their sleeves for the visitors and if that happens, nothing can stop India from displacing Aussies from no. 1 position……Go India Go!!