Aussies turn on the charm

The brown-and-olive pattern on the armoured vehicle stationed outside the team hotel didnt quite work as a camouflage in the stylish concrete surroundings.

The brown-and-olive pattern on the armoured vehicle stationed outside the team hotel didnt quite work as a camouflage in the stylish concrete surroundings. After the frisking,scanning and X-ray searching en route to Australian skipper Ricky Pontings series-opening address,there was a generous sprinkling of khaki in the media room. And a few policemen in plain clothes attempted to nonchalantly mingle with the scribes but their shifty eyes and safari suits gave away their identities.

In keeping with the mood,Ponting,too,seemed to put up a front by masking the usual Aussie pre-tour aggression with a veneer of underdog humility. He started by dismissing Brett Lees 7-0 series prediction with mock surprise and a counter question: Did he say that? Hes taken over from Glenn McGrath already. Its the stuff that Glenn used to do. But well wait and see how the series plays out.

Restraint seems to be a brief for the Aussie tour party in India this time,but perhaps the no bravado motto hasnt yet been conveyed to those still involved with the Champions League. So non-combative was the Aussie skippers mindset that he misheard a blatant headline-seeking question. Considering India defeated your team 2-0 in the tri-series final in Australia,will this be a revenge series? he was asked. Excuse me,did you say this will be an even series? Ponting asked in reply. Sitting next to him,coach Tim Nielsen stepped in to clear the confusion. No,this is not about revenge. Whats happened in the past has happened. Whatever you want to do,you cannot change that. It does not matter even if we win 7-0 because it doesnt change the fact that we lost to India in Australia last time, Nielsen said.

Good form

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For the team which famously targeted key players of rival teams by indulging them in a war of words before the battle on the field,the tactic seems to have changed dramatically as lesser-known names in the squad have robbed Australia of their once awe-inspiring presence.

The last 12 games of ODI cricket from the start of the one-day series in England have been great. We carried that form to win the Champions Trophy. A lot of our younger guys have gained a lot of confidence from that. But we know we cant expect it to continue. Weve got to keep working hard,got to keep trying to find ways to improve as individuals, Ponting said about his team.

The key to the series,he said,would be the contest between the Indian spinners and his young middle-order batsmen. The challenges that we face over the next few weeks will be how our middle order plays against spin. Ive been here a lot,Mike Hussey has come here a lot,and Shane Watson,Tim Paine and Cameron White play spin well. One thing you need to have in a one-day team are guys who are flexible and can play well in all types of conditions.

But it was clear that even while Ponting was confessing his teams weakness,he was quietly confident of overcoming the odds. His words,no matter how restrained,failed to camouflage the assault capabilities of the inexperienced but deadly Aussies.

While aboard INS Vikrant, the Prime Minister had a packed schedule of engagements, officials said.

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