ANIL KUMBLE is the latest critic to identify inexperience as Australia's weakness, but the ambitious Indian captain has been warned it would be a grave mistake to underestimate an Australian side that has resolved to carve its own place in history.
With eight of the heroes of Australia's drought-breaking 2004 victory earning a retirement nest-egg in India's professional Twenty20 leagues, insatiable batsman Michael Hussey has reinforced the need for those who remain to make their own impression on one of cricket's toughest tours, and prove 2004 was not an aberration.
"We will definitely take a lot of things out of 2004 but the personnel are so different that we are a new team, really, and we are trying to create our own history. We have lost so many great players from that series that we are new and fresh and want to put our own stamp on things," said Hussey, who despite tasting the oppressive mixture of dust and heat on numerous visits since touring with the national under-19 team in 1994 has not graced an Indian pitch in a Test.
Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have, there are four uncapped bowlers in the touring party and all-rounder Shane Watson, expected to replace Andrew Symonds, has played only three Tests, all in 2005.
"The Indians might think we are inexperienced, and perhaps in Test cricket in this country we are but the guys that have come in have played a lot of first class cricket, they have played very well for their states," Hussey said.
"I think it would be a mistake to underestimate the newer more inexperienced guys in our team because I think they are very seasoned, hardened cricketers and it's just a case of how quickly we can adapt to the Indian conditions."
Speaking in Vadadora before leading a Rest Of India team against New Delhi in a game to shape the Indian team for the first Test, Kumble articulated his intention to exploit the relative inexperience of the Australians and dismissed concerns about the form of his own ageing champions, who underperformed in the recent series loss to Sri Lanka. Sourav Ganguly is already facing the axe, and Sachin Tendulkar is nursing an injured elbow.
"Last year we came close to equal, if not win, the Test series in Australia and in 2004 we lost the Chennai Test on the last day because of rain. But, this time, I think we have got a brilliant opportunity," Kumble said.
"This Australian side is low on experience. I think our vast experience and skills will be our advantage and we have to back them with the right result at the end of the series."
While both sides have pledged to put the acrimony of last summer behind them, the presence of Greg Chappell, a highly controversial figure in his two-year tenure as India's coach, in the Australian inner sanctum has touched a raw nerve with some locals.
Hussey said the former Australian captain had already provided valuable insights in team meetings. "He's got intimate knowledge about the Indian conditions, the grounds, the Indian players, so we can definitely tap into that knowledge. [But] I don't think it's going to be the determining factor in the series, because he can't go out and bat for us and bowl for us."
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