Australia suffered a setback ahead of the first Test against India when vice-captain Michael Clarke missed training on Tuesday because of a stomach virus.
Team officials said Clarke, 27, should recover in time for the Test starting on Thursday, but his absence from practice is not what the tourists needed before the four-match series.
All-rounder Shane Watson was forced to sit out of the tour opener in Hyderabad last week with a chest infection, missing valuable match practice.
Australia need a fit Clarke both as an accomplished middle-order batsman and left-arm slow bowler in the absence of better spin options.
Clarke said last week he was looking to make a positive impact in the Bangalore Test, just as he had done on the previous tour four years ago.
"I have had success before in Bangalore and hopefully I can repeat that this time too," Clarke said in Hyderabad.
Aussies against odds
If statistics and experience alone won cricket matches, world champions Australia would be regarded as no-hopers in the Test series against India starting on Thursday.
At least 12 in the 15-man touring squad have a combined tally of only 130 Tests between them, the same number that India captain Anil Kumble has played and 20 fewer than batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.
Captain Ricky Ponting, veteran opener Matthew Hayden, and middle-order batsmen Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have experienced a Test match atmosphere in India before.
And the spin options are bare following the retirements of the legendary Shane Warne and his understudy Stuart MacGill, with no one to exploit wickets that traditionally favour slow bowlers.
On paper, the series would appear a cakewalk for the Indians. In real terms, however, it leaves an enthralling contest on offer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between two evenly-matched teams.
"This is the best chance for us to pull it off," said Kumble, determined to overturn the 2-1 defeat at home in 2004 and an identical loss Down Under earlier this year.
"We want to win this one badly. Good for us that the Aussies consider themselves the underdogs. We have to exploit their relative inexperience in our own conditions."
The tussle between India's battle-hardened batting veterans and Australia's pace firepower will provide the backdrop for one of the most eagerly-awaited four-Test series in recent times.
Tendulkar, 35, who needs only 77 more runs to overtake Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading scorer, heads the charge of the senior brigade that includes Rahul Dravid, 35, Sourav Ganguly, 36, and Venkatsai Laxman, 33.
Much would, however, depend on pugnacious match-winner Virender Sehwag, India's lone triple-centurion in Tests who has achieved the feat twice in the last four years.
India will look to Sehwag and his Delhi team-mate Gautam Gambhir to blunt the Aussie pace attack of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and rookie Peter Siddle.
At least 12 in the 15-man touring squad have a combined tally of only 130 Tests between them, the same number that India captain Anil Kumble has played and 20 fewer than batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.
Captain Ricky Ponting, veteran opener Matthew Hayden, and middle-order batsmen Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have experienced a Test match atmosphere in India before.
And the spin options are bare following the retirements of the legendary Shane Warne and his understudy Stuart MacGill, with no one to exploit wickets that traditionally favour slow bowlers.
On paper, the series would appear a cakewalk for the Indians. In real terms, however, it leaves an enthralling contest on offer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between two evenly-matched teams.
"This is the best chance for us to pull it off," said Kumble, determined to overturn the 2-1 defeat at home in 2004 and an identical loss Down Under earlier this year.
"We want to win this one badly. Good for us that the Aussies consider themselves the underdogs. We have to exploit their relative inexperience in our own conditions."
The tussle between India's battle-hardened batting veterans and Australia's pace firepower will provide the backdrop for one of the most eagerly-awaited four-Test series in recent times.
Tendulkar, 35, who needs only 77 more runs to overtake Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading scorer, heads the charge of the senior brigade that includes Rahul Dravid, 35, Sourav Ganguly, 36, and Venkatsai Laxman, 33.
Much would, however, depend on pugnacious match-winner Virender Sehwag, India's lone triple-centurion in Tests who has achieved the feat twice in the last four years.
India will look to Sehwag and his Delhi team-mate Gautam Gambhir to blunt the Aussie pace attack of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and rookie Peter Siddle.
Andrew Symonds handed captaincy duty
Andrew Symonds has been handed extra responsibility as he aims to work his way back to international cricket, having been named captain of Queensland for a Twenty20 match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Symonds will be handed the reins for a game in Brisbane on Tuesday even though the Bulls' full-time leader Chris Simpson will also play.
Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, said the practice games provided the team -- and Symonds -- the opportunity to experiment. "These matches against the Knight Riders are a good chance for us to have Andrew Symonds test the water as captain and lead by example on the field," Barsby said.
Symonds made his return to state cricket on the weekend, when he turned out for the Bulls in two Twenty20 fixtures against the Knight Riders. He struggled to have an impact with the bat and scored 2 and 1 in the back-to-back games.
However, Symonds's bowling was useful and he finished with figures of 0 for 8 from four overs in one match and 2 for 24 from three overs in the other. The series of practice matches has allowed Symonds to ease back into cricket following his axing from the Australia squad in Darwin.
Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, said the practice games provided the team -- and Symonds -- the opportunity to experiment. "These matches against the Knight Riders are a good chance for us to have Andrew Symonds test the water as captain and lead by example on the field," Barsby said.
Symonds made his return to state cricket on the weekend, when he turned out for the Bulls in two Twenty20 fixtures against the Knight Riders. He struggled to have an impact with the bat and scored 2 and 1 in the back-to-back games.
However, Symonds's bowling was useful and he finished with figures of 0 for 8 from four overs in one match and 2 for 24 from three overs in the other. The series of practice matches has allowed Symonds to ease back into cricket following his axing from the Australia squad in Darwin.
Sachin scoffs at security worries
Top batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Monday played down security concerns for the Test series against Australia, saying cricketers will never be targeted in India.
Fears were raised after 25 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as bombs went off across New Delhi in recent weeks.
"I don't think it bothers us. We are confident nothing bad will happen," Tendulkar told reporters at a training camp ahead of the first Test starting here on October 9.
New Delhi is the venue of the third Test from October 29 and security has been increased around the Australian team, who play a four-day practice match in southern Hyderabad from Thursday.
Tendulkar declined to comment on Australia's security fears but insisted Indian players had nothing to worry about.
"This is our homeland. In our homeland I don't think anyone can harm us," said the 35-year-old father of two, one of India's most famous public figures.
"We should be free to move wherever and whenever we want."
Cricket Australia (CA) have said they will go ahead with the tour after the Indian board asked local organisers to increase security at all four Test venues.
"We are scheduled to get to Delhi in just under a month's time but the advice we're getting is that the things that need to be happening are happening," CA spokesman Peter Young said.
"We're not aware of any advice that says we need to change our security processes."
Australia cancelled a scheduled Test tour of Pakistan in March due to security concerns and were also one of the teams that forced the Champions Trophy there to be delayed by a year.
Fears were raised after 25 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as bombs went off across New Delhi in recent weeks.
"I don't think it bothers us. We are confident nothing bad will happen," Tendulkar told reporters at a training camp ahead of the first Test starting here on October 9.
New Delhi is the venue of the third Test from October 29 and security has been increased around the Australian team, who play a four-day practice match in southern Hyderabad from Thursday.
Tendulkar declined to comment on Australia's security fears but insisted Indian players had nothing to worry about.
"This is our homeland. In our homeland I don't think anyone can harm us," said the 35-year-old father of two, one of India's most famous public figures.
"We should be free to move wherever and whenever we want."
Cricket Australia (CA) have said they will go ahead with the tour after the Indian board asked local organisers to increase security at all four Test venues.
"We are scheduled to get to Delhi in just under a month's time but the advice we're getting is that the things that need to be happening are happening," CA spokesman Peter Young said.
"We're not aware of any advice that says we need to change our security processes."
Australia cancelled a scheduled Test tour of Pakistan in March due to security concerns and were also one of the teams that forced the Champions Trophy there to be delayed by a year.
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