145;Another game, another Team India146;

Grand receptions and victory processions aren8217;t new for the perpetual world champions Aussies.

Grand receptions and victory processions aren8217;t new for the perpetual world champions Aussies. Adam Gilchrist has been part of several ticker tape parades and that8217;s what makes him aware of the hard walk that follows the bus-top ride. As India8217;s Twenty20 heroes, after encountering the Mumbai frenzy, gradually gathered here for the series opener while trying to be grounded, the Aussie wicket-keeper comes up with a timely reminder about the thorns that come with the champions8217; crown.

8220;We know what it is to be hunted. Indians are in a new zone. We will wait and see how they deal with it,8221; he says. Cynics might say that Gilchrist was merely kicking off the typically Aussie pre-series mind games but it seemed more like a timely outsider8217;s perspective to a nation on a high.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the first player to lead a team to a World Cup triumph even before making his debut as an ODI captain and that8217;s the reason public expectations are sky high. Till late Thursday evening, he hadn8217;t arrived, but his presence was overwhelming. Placards, billboards and even some barber shops around the Chinnaswamy stadium have the image of the long-haired Ranchi wicket-keeper with a golden touch. Even in Rahul Dravid country they think that the man who replaced him as India captain can do no wrong.

Across the city there are several corporate events arranged to honour Dhoni and his daredevils. Checking ticket sales would be naive since it is foregone conclusion that the series between THE world champions and new world champions is sure to be sold out.

Adding spice to the eagerly anticipated contest is Aussie captain Ricky Ponting, who despite the dodgy hamstring that might see him miss Saturday8217;s game, swaggered in the city with the intentions of bringing the Indians down to ground zero. 8220;We hope to win the series, and if that means winning every game, well then great. Hopefully we8217;ll start with a win on Saturday and take it from there,8221; he said.

He was candid enough to confess that the Twenty20 World Cup 8220;well-documented that the Indians fielded well throughout out and have a fresh outlook on the game8221; but that too came with a cruel rider. Ponting reminded that with the return of the Big Three 8212; Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar 8212; means India8217;s ODI team was different than the just-crowned youthful world champion T20 squad.

8220;The thing for us is that we8217;ve play against those guys a lot Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar and we should know their strengths and weaknesses very well. If anything, it8217;ll probably make it a lot easier for us to play India with those guys in the team.8221;

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This comment proved how things have changed so fast in Indian cricket. Ironically, the once dreaded trio now provide reassurance to rivals. Familiar format and faces 8212; despite their star status 8212; makes Ponting comfortable after the experience of being knocked out by a bunch of inspired young unknowns in South Africa. In another attempt to wake up India from the Twenty20 daze Ponting adds 8220;heroics are history8221;.

Pass on this message to two Indian players 8212; Robin Uthappa and Zaheer Khan 8212; and one comes across two men with an age difference and contrasting views. Zaheer says he doesn8217;t believe in such war of words. 8220;What matters is the show on field. The bat and ball should do all the talking,8221; he says. Uthappa opts to challenge the 8220;heroics is history8221; quote. 8220;In that case their World Cup triumph too is history. So it all evens out,8221; he says.

Dhoni will be banking on this hot-cold combination for this vital series. Subtle aggression of the old hands and the new found in-your-face overtly offensive approach could provide perfect balance that would help the new captain deal with the thorns with the champions8217; crown.