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Mike Hussey has delivered a firm warning to India, saying if they think they will beat the Australians with experience alone they will be sorely mistaken.
India are positively buzzing with expectations of a Test series victory over the team captained by Ricky Ponting, and Anil Kumble has spoken of a “brilliant opportunity” to send the tourists home with their tails between their legs.
On paper, the hype has plenty of merit, particularly when names like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid are lined up against an Australian attack that will need to rely on the unheralded likes of wrist spinner Bryce McGain.
Hussey, though, said the Australians were hardened cricketers to a man, and by the time of the first Test in Bangalore next month would be well versed in local conditions.
“I don’t think age is any barrier,” Hussey said.
“The big strength we have is the Indians might think we’re inexperienced and perhaps in Test cricket in this country we are, but the guys that have come in have played a lot of first-class cricket for their states.
“We have a very, very strong first-class system, so anyone who comes in is going to have to have put some good performances on the board and really deserve their chance, so I think it would be a bit of a mistake to underestimate the newer, less experienced guys in our team.
“I think they’re very seasoned, hardened cricketers, and it’s a case of how quickly we can adapt to the conditions.”
The process of adaptation began with a first training session at the Rajasthan Academy Ground.
All 15 members of the touring party have the spring in their step that comes from knowing that, unlike previous tours, each player has a genuine chance of taking part in the Tests because of the transitional phase the team is currently negotiating.
Hussey said the players were out to write some new history, given the current touring party is close to unrecognisable against the older group that tasted rare Test match success in India in 2004.
“We definitely take a lot of things out of 2004, but the personnel are so different that we’re a new team really and trying to create our own history and things like that,” he said.
“We’ve lost so many great players from that series that we’re new and fresh and want to put our own stamp on things.
“Everyone’s going to be preparing well and that’s how it should be – everyone should be preparing as though they’re going to play and there’s going to be some unlucky guys who miss out.
“Everyone can consider themselves a very good chance of playing, which is very healthy.”
India’s financial clout was underlined by the announcement of another massive operating profit for the BCCI, up 46 per cent on last year off the back of the wildly successful first Indian Premier League.
Hussey said the country was starting to feel like cricket’s new home – something borne out by the number of visits he and his teammates are now making, whether it is for the national team, the IPL or the domestic Twenty20 Champions League that will be sandwiched between Australia’s two-Test home series this summer.
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