Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is completely focussed on the forthcoming tri-series match against India and not even his winning the Wisden and CEAT Cricketer of the Year awards can disturbed his concentration.
"The awards don't mean much. I mean they are nice to receive and all, but at the end of the day they don't help the preparation," he said on Friday. "Obviously, it is great to win the prestigious award. I don't think much about it. We have some other business to attend to it. We will get down and work hard and get as well-prepared as possible. We have a big game coming up tomorrow."
After losing to India by 37 runs in their first match of the series, the Aussies bounced back extremely well and crushed New Zealand at Faridabad. The fine all-round showing, Ponting feels, will make it hard to leave out anyone for the Mumbai match.
"I have not had a look at the wicket so far but will do that later in the day and that's when we will probably decide the game plan. We will try and find out as much as possible about the wicket," he said.
If there is one man in Indian cricket who is deified, it is Sachin Tendulkar. That feeling is all the more evident in his hometown, Mumbai. Playing if front of home crowd can be very daunting and Ponting hopes the screaming crowds will help the Australian cause tomorrow.
"Playing in front of the home crowd, you always feel more pressure. I feel that way when I play at the Bellerieve Oval; it's always that little bit more daunting than the other grounds in Australia. Sachin may feel more pressure. So let's hope the crowd cheers loudly for him and the shots don't go through very well for him. He has a very good record against us and it is a very important game. Hope we can knock him out early tomorrow night."
The Aussies, though, have had virtually no time to get acclimatized or rest. They finished the series against Zimbabwe and were then straight in the thick of battle in India. All the travel and constant cricket can at times get very strenuous.
"It has been a tough start to the tournament for us. We spoke this morning in the team meeting and said that all the training sessions will most probably be optional for most of the guys until game 5. We are starting to get used to the conditions. Focus on the recovery side of things a bit more," Ponting said.
With the Aussies focusing on recovery in such a long tournament, the availability of the entire squad is virtually a must. Michael Kasprowicz has spearheaded their attack in India umpteen times and his presence could be vital for the inexperienced fast bowling attack. They won't have a pitch that affords a lot of assistance everywhere.
"Kasper [Michael Kasprowicz] is doing very well. It has just been around 5-6 days since his injury. His recovery has been very good and, hopefully, we will see him in action around the fifth ODI."
Ponting's own form during the first two matches has not been his best. He scored two in the second ODI and 12 in the third.
"I have not got as many runs as I would have wanted. I will hopefully get my confidence back after a good stint in the nets. I should have a good game tomorrow," he said with an air of confidence.
Indian spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, did very well in the first game and Ponting knows they are likely to play a major role in Saturday's match as well.
"The biggest challenge for Australia is to play the spinners in these conditions. You should hopefully see a more disciplined batting performance. We have identified a few areas where we could have done a better job and it is now up to the batsmen to go out there and do the job in the middle," he said.
