We all have a lot of motivation to do well, especially as our record in India and Pakistan has hardly stacked up with our performances back home. Having not won here for almost 30 years, we're keen to extract a little revenge and do as well as we can - not only in the three Tests but in the triangulars as well.
It wasn't until the last weeks before we left that the itinerary was finally agreed to. It even took an Australian delegation to sort it all out. No game is scheduled at Patiala which we thought a pity as last time Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh were billoted together in the team hotel there, the only bed in their room was a double! The management couldn't understand why they wanted to change!
We would have been disappointed if a game hadn't been scheduled at Calcutta. Eden Gardens is simply a magnificent venue, bigger even than the Melbourne Cricket Ground. We all saw it for the opening ceremony of the 1996 World Cup and it was simply awesome. Its capacity is 120,000 and there couldn't have been a spare seat anywhere. When the South Africans played there last, just over a year ago now, there was more than 75,000 on the first day and 60,000 for the remaining four. The Indians love their cricket with an absolute passion. Steve Waugh is the only one amongst us to have played there, during the (1987 World Cup final, and he says the atmosphere for a full house is truly electric.
WICKETS on the sub-continent provide the greatest test for a wicketkeeper. They tend to spin a lot and stay down. Often you have to stand closer for the faster guys as the ball tends not to carry much. The old ball will generally swing ``Irish'' which adds to the difficulty. You have to be on your toes all day and if any big holes develop which Shane Warne is looking to exploit, I'll have no problem in calling for a helmet, complete with grille. I've twice before worn a helmet, in Jamaica and also once in England.
I'm hoping Rod Marsh's wicketkeeping record will come up sometime in the next weeks, but I'm not looking to force anything or make any goals which can't be kept. I find if I'm playing consistently well, everything else looks after itself. We see Warnie's presence as being a big plus this time around. Not only will he pressure the Indian batting line-up, the pressure will also go onto the Indian groundsmen, who may not be quite as keen to prepare turners like we got at New Delhi in 1996 where it spun virtually square from day one.
Shane was back at home recuperating after a finger operation and our spin attack in that game was led by Peter McIntyre and Brad Hogg, who were probably too alike, despite one being a right-arm leg-spinner and the other a leftie. India's general tactic at home has been to play a wrist spinner with a faster finger spinner rather than two wristies.
At New Delhi, they played their faster wrist spinner in Anil Kumble, along with Sunil Joshi, the fast left-arm orthodox. Aashish Kapoor, the right-arm offie also played. Between them they bowled almost 75 per cent of the overs.
The groundsmen certainly can control the way a game is played. Last time we were in Mumbai, the wicket looked good enough for a Test match. It had a very good covering of grass and played very consistently. But talking to Bob Simpson recently, he said the ball spun like a top during a Test he attended there in 1997. It was really dry with hardly any grass at all.
If similar wickets are dished up, we'll be looking to fight spin with spin and hope our batsmen will be patient enough to hang in, like Steve Waugh did last time around with 67 not out in four and a half hours in the second dig at New Delhi. Patience is a key word with all of us on this tour. If a wicket happens to turn a lot, we all need to be very patient and specific in our scoring areas.
If playing against an offspinner, for example, you might just wait for the ball you can tuck off your legs, lean on one through midwicket or, when set, chip it over the inner ring. You must play the percentages and look to play with the turn rather than against it.
Having ``soft'' hands when defending is another batting must here. If you can keep some of their best balls out with soft defence and not bring the men around the bat into play and dispatch any bad ones which do come up, you have more chance of breaking the field up and being on your way. You certainly get value for shots on the fast outfields, so anyone who gets in will be looking to score a big one, especially once the Tests come around.
WE'RE expecting all the facilities and restaurants at all the major cities in India to be good. It's only when you get out to the more remote areas for a couple of the one-dayers that the practice facilities and dressing rooms aren't likely to be quite up to scratch and the wickets a bit of a lottery.
We normally have a carton of beer up in the team room after a day's play and have formed a small social committee to help organise little things such as the videos everyone wants to watch. A fines committee is also in place which adds to the fun. As I understand it, there's little or no free-to-air television for the folks back home but I'm sure there will be kudos for those who perform well. The Herograms have already started.
COPYRIGHT: Ken Piesse & Australian Cricket magazine