Aussies open India tour with clash against BP XI

Fri, Sep 24 10 08:02 PM

Sanjay Ganjoo Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) The Ricky Ponting-led Australia will be keen to get some vital match practice and key Indian players, who are returning from injuries, would assess their fitness when the visitors and the Board President''s XI clash in a three-day practice match from here tomorrow. Skipper Gautam Gambhir and paceman S Sreesanth, who suffered injuries in the Sri Lankan tour, are making a comeback to the competitive cricket. Eyes will also be on Cheteshwar Pujara, who replaced Yuvraj Singh in the Test squad. The Saurashtra batsman has been a prolific run-scorer in the domestic circuit and for quite some time the right-hander was in the reckoning for a place in the national team. His dominance with the bat in domestic circuit can be gauged from the fact that he has so far made 14 centuries and 13 half centuries in his five-year first class career. Sreesanth, who hurt his knee in the lead-up to the first Test in Sri Lanka, would be looking to get back his rhythm back while Gambhir, who missed the second and third Tests in Sri Lanka with an injured knee, would also be keen to get some runs under his belt before the first Test. The Australians who have been mostly confined to their hotel rooms and gymnasium courtesy inclement weather will hope to make the most of the time they get out there in the middle. Only yesterday, Ponting and his boys seemed to be getting into the groove with some serious net sessions at the indoor facility of the PCA Stadium. "It''s been raining here earlier on. But now sun has come out finally. Playing against India in any conditions and in any form of the game is tough. "We need to be as well prepared as we possibly can be and that''s why we are here so early before the first Test. To get a practice match against a quality opposition and to get that feel of the conditions is very important," Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke said. "We just haven''t played much Test cricket as a team in India, but we are excited about the possibilities. If we can play our best cricket, I am confident we can beat India in this series," he said. More PTI SUN KHS AT

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