'We are here to play aggressive cricket'
Ashish Magotra
The Aussies are finally here! And their motto for the tour is simple: "Here to win."
The 14-member team arrived in Bombay after a journey that took approximately 30 hours, and immediately, at a press conference, skipper Steve Waugh laid down the gauntlet to the Indian side.
Also present at the conference were Steve's deputy, Adam Gilchrist and coach John Buchanan.
Waugh reiterated the fact that this is a major tour and India would be hard to beat in its backyard.
"But we are here to play aggressive cricket, though you never get used to the amount of people in India, and the kind of support the game has is great," he said.
Replying to a question, he said he was relieved to know that the Central Bureau of Investigation would not be questioning the younger twin brother Mark about match-fixing allegations.
Mark has, in recent times, been in excellent touch with the bat, averaging 108.40 in the just-concluded Carlton series in Australia.
On their goals in the two warm-up games that will lead up to the first Test on the February 27, in Bombay, Waugh said he would like "to get accustomed to the pitches as soon as possible, get rid of their jetlag and give all the 14 players a chance to play".
"We are looking on to taking on India in India; it is a great challenge. India is a very good side at home.
"We want to absorb the cultures of India; it is a learning experience for all," he added.
Replying to a query regarding their record-breaking winning streak, Waugh said: "Winning is a habit and I would like to keep it that way. We are geared up to play on any sort of pitches. We have thought of a plan and we can play according to it. There is no reason why we cannot win here."
He described Anil Kumble's absence following corrective shoulder surgery as "unfortunate".
"He will be missing a big series and I only hope other youngsters will fill up his place," he said.
So how does he expect the series to go?
"In the very first Test we will like to stick to our plans and try to wrest the initiative. I will be happy if we can win the series 1-0 or 2-1," he said.
His deputy Adam Gilchrist felt the Australians would have done better had they "visited India more often".
"We could have had more wins," he said, adding, "It will definitely be a tough series because the
conditions are different and Australia has not won a series in
India for the past 30-odd years."
Asked whether former Aussie coach Geoff Marsh, who is now a consultant to the Indian team, will be a major factor in the outcome of the series, Aussie coach John Buchanan said: "It's a yes and a no. Yes, because of the knowledge he has about the Australian players, the way they play, their strokes and the mental aspect; and no, because he's spreading knowledge around."
Buchanan also said that it was necessary to play Lee in the just-concluded Carlton series, which involved the West Indies and Zimbabwe, so that he could have a bowl and assess his fitness level.
The Aussies, who are being sponsored by Kelvinator, are here on a 52-day tour during which they will play three Tests and five one-dayers besides three three-day matches.
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