Meet Australia in C’wealth Tri-series opener today:

Indians out to avenge Test whitewash

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia

CRICKET: The reigning World Cup champions in this format of the game India and Australia will shoot off the cowboy game when they confront each in the first 50-over match of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

The Indians must be hurt inside after being stuffed by the Australians in the four-match Test series earlier, and will be like starved tigers wanting to devour the Australians and avenge those defeats somewhat, although those defeats were in a different ball game.

The Indians will have pride to protect being World Champions and when they play this series and console their disappointed millions of fans by going back with the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

White balls

The cricketers and the umpires will drop their whites and take the field in coloured clothing, while the sight screens will be decked in black with white balls in play.

Three of the best teams in this format of the game: India, Sri Lanka and Australia will take the field. India is the reigning champions with Sri Lanka second best with Australia not far behind, having won several World Cups previously.

Being the hosts and after their resounding success over India in the Test series, Australia are tipped to push aside India in the opener. Australia, like India and Sri Lanka are fronting their best marksmen with the ability for this style of game.

Best batsmen

Australia will have their best batsmen taking strike for them. Opener David Warner will be the cynosure of all eyes with his penchant to scatter the bowling from the first ball he strikes. He showed how devastating he can be with a blistering 180 in a Test against India. He looked as though he was playing a one-day game in making that big score.

The Aussies will miss the all-round abilities of Shane Watson, still out due to injury. Other batsmen to watch will be skipper Michael Clarke who had a ball in the Test matches scoring Bradman and Hammond like.

Great touch

Former captain Ricky Ponting too, is in great touch. The Husseys – Mike and David, Mitchell Marsh and Mathew Wade are expected to provide the runs for the bowlers to probe for victory. It is nice to see the return of fast man Brett Lee. Lee has still not lost his fire of old and is expected to trouble the Indian batsmen. Lee has been hard at training and is raring to have a go at the Indian batsmen.

On paper the Indians look the better balanced and stronger all-round side. They are rich in batting with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and if they oblige can send the Aussie bowlers on a leather hunt.

Elusive 100th hundred

Tendulkar who failed to make his 100th hundred will not lack for want of trying to get that elusive hundred and get it over with. But it won’t be easy for the master batsman whose reflexes must be failing.

To stall the Aussie batsmen India will look to new ball bowlers Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav and Praveen Kumar. Spin will be provided by Ravichndra Ashwin.

In this style of game, technique does not count. Hitting every ball, even playing the ungainly looking reverse stroke is the thing. Bowlers must bowl wicket to wicket, while it is the fielding that stands to improve with the fielders expected to cling on to the half chances and cutting the threes into twos and the twos into ones.

The atmosphere is electric, the ground looking a picture, the wicket looking good for bags full of runs and with a holiday crowd expected the action should be gripping.