And so it begins...
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is on its way to becoming one of the best rivalries in world cricket. The Ashes don't have the fire anymore; the Frank Worrel Trophy sees the Windies being blown away by the Aussies time and again. Only India have been able to challenge Australia in Test cricket, home and away.
Of the last six Tests between the India and Australia, as many as five were decided on the final day. All were during Steve Waugh's era, when the Australians crushed teams inside three days.
When the first Test starts in Bangalore on Wednesday, people will be expecting India and Australia to carry on from where they left off.
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Bangalore has been receiving a good amount of rain during the last couple of evenings, but the curator reckons it won't affect the game as the Chinnaswamy stadium has a very good drainage system.
In 14 matches at the Chinnaswamy stadium, India won four and lost four. But none of those victories were against Australia. In fact, Australia played two matches at the venue; they won one and drew the other.
But this Bangalore wicket is different from previous ones. India skipper Sourav Ganguly, for one, reckons that it is dry.
"In fact, I have not seen a dryer wicket in Bangalore before. Playing three spinners is a possibility, looking at the conditions," he said, on Tuesday afternoon.
Looking at the conditions, experts reckon that the pitch will start breaking up as early as day two, which, basically, means the spinners will have a major say in the match.
But one feels the importance of India having two quality seamers to open the attack should not be underestimated. Ajit Agarkar has the ability to trouble Justin Langer greatly and an early breakthrough is always welcome.
Just a few days back, Aussie coach John Buchanan had mentioned that Australia is likely to go into the match with three seamers, with Shane Warne the solitary specialist spinner, whatever the conditions. Warne, of course, will be supported by Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke, the latter if he finds a place in the team.
A major blow for the Indians will be the loss of Sachin Tendulkar. Yuvraj Singh comes into the side in his stead, but his experience, or rather the lack of it, could prove a major factor against the Aussies.
In the current Indian team, only Tendulkar has scored a century at Bangalore. It came against the Aussies during the third Test in 1997-98. A Test that the Aussies eventually won, thanks to a brilliant spell by Michael Kasprowicz.
Australia's captain Adam Gilchrist feels Tendulkar's absence will be felt, but the Indians have the talent to still pose a stiff challenge.
"In the last two Test series between the two sides, Sachin has not been the one who has the done the most damage. The Laxmans and the Dravids have been as dangerous. Sachin is very good, but we are aware that there are others. In Australia, for instance, the opening pairing played very well and we couldn't get past them," he said.
Tendulkar's exclusion from the team means that both Yuvraj and opener Akash Chopra will play. Both are fighting for a place in the squad and it will be interesting to see how they respond to pressure.
Anil Kumble, with 397 wickets, is India's most successful spin bowler ever and could hold the key to the Test. He is India's best bet in Bangalore, which also happens to be his home ground, having claimed 29 wickets, at an average of 21.10, and a best of 6-98 there.
Steve Waugh's dream of winning in India was dealt a bitter blow by the heroics of Laxman when the two teams last met. The dustbowls of India, as some refer to Indian pitches, and the spinners have conspired since 1969-70 to keep the Aussies from winning in the country.
"It was the Final Frontier for Steven [Waugh]. Truth to be said, he did not play a lot of cricket here. But we are looking to create history for ourselves. This series has created a wonderful identity for itself in recent years," said Gilchrist.
It is just the start of what promises to be an enthralling series for spectators and players. The turning point could quite literally be the toss. And, make no mistake, given the conditions, the skipper who wins it will elect to bat first.
Gilchrist, who has led the Aussies only on thrice before (two wins and a loss, thanks to Mark Butcher's brilliant 173 at Headingley, England, in 2001), obviously enjoys the responsibility of captaining the side.
"It is physically and mentally challenging, but it also increases my desire to make an impact in this series. It is extra motivation for me," he said.
In sum, the toss, India's handling of Warne and Australia's aggression will all play a part in the result of this eagerly awaited Test.
Teams:
India (from): Akash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Kaif and Zaheer Khan.
Australia (from): Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Michael Kasprowicz, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Nathan Hauritz, Cameron White and Shane Watson.
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