The matches are yet to begin but the war of words has started(and hopefully there is some substance from both sides in them)
Before leaving, Kumble exhorted the Indian team and especially the seniors to conquer the final frontier, Australia
The Hindu : Sport : Conquer Aussie frontier, says Kumble to seniors
A Test series win over Australia in its own backyard will be one of the most cherished achievements for India’s top cricketers, many of whom are on their last tour Down Under, captain Anil Kumble said on Tuesday.
The ace-leg-spinner, in an apparent reference to players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman, urged his senior mates to make a final push to glory.
“Most of the senior cricketers are here on their last tour of Australia, so it’s very important we go back victorious,” Kumble told reporters after arriving here with the Indian squad to play a four-Test series, beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26.
And setting the ball rolling, Kumble started the mind games by saying that spin will be the Achilles heel for the Australians.
LIVENEWS.com.au > Cricket > Spin is Australia's achilles heel: Kumble
India captain Anil Kumble has highlighted spin as Australia's weakness in the coming Test series and believes Brad Hogg would pose few worries for the visiting batsmen if selected for Boxing Day.
Kumble said India's batsmen could confidently handle any spin offering Australia deployed post-Shane Warne and without injured Stuart MacGill, predicting Test cricket would provide Hogg a tough challenge despite his one-day success.
Harbhajan further added fuel to the fire by taking on his counterpart, Brad Hogg, whom he said as a nothing spinner and one whom the Indians would love to take on.
The Hindu News Update Service
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Monday claimed Australia is short on spin bowling options and Indian batsmen would feast on Brad Hogg's bowling should the left-arm bowler be selected for the first Test in Melbourne.
The Punjab bowler declared Hogg was not close to the illustrious tweakers that have represented Australia at Test level in recent times.
"Without (Shane) Warne and (Stuart) MacGill, there are no quality spinners in Australia," Harbhajan told the 'Herald' newspaper.
"From our point of view, we would be happy to see how Hogg would go against the best players of spin in the world. It would be a big test for him, and we all know how he bowls," Harbhajan said.
Ponting meanwhile has come back with a retort
Target Hogg at your peril: Ponting | The Australian
AFP: Indian spin won't wash, says Ponting
Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting said the Indian team could say what they liked about his bowling line-up but they would still have difficulty against it.
India arrived in Australia on Tuesday for the four-Test series with captain Anil Kumble confidently targeting his opponent's bowling as their weakness following the retirement of leg-spinner Shane Warne.
But Ponting said left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, who was Tuesday named in the squad to replace an injured Stuart MacGill, deserved his place in the side despite only having played four Tests.
"A lot of international players have struggled reading Hoggy in one-day cricket especially," Ponting told reporters.
"He's brought a lot of guys undone with his variations in that form of the game and I can't see why it would be any different in Test cricket.
"If they (the Indians) want to go after him then good because that's probably the best way for us to take wickets as well."
"Hoggy is bowling very well, he's very confident, he's been talking up how well he's been bowling right through the summer... he'll do a good job."
And so has the Australian press and the bookies who are giving no chance to the Indians. While the bookies have already written off the Indian's, the Australian press has been writing a series of articles about how this "old" team from India might not be able to deliver the entertainment the Australians deserve.
Heat on Indian attack, says Lawson | Herald Sun
India too old, too tired, too rushed | Herald Sun
And meanwhile Shoaib Akhtar has come out in total support of Tait(who gave this guy a role in Indian films?
)
Tait will frighten life out of India | The Australian
Once clocked as the world's fastest bowler, the maverick Pakistani paceman caused India's batsmen some discomfort on their flat pitches during the just-completed three-Test series.
"The Australians must pick Shaun Tait," Shoaib said. "I'm telling you, the Indians will be scared of him. They will not be comfortable with his pace at all. If the Australians make nice, quick pitches the Indians will be jumping all over the place."
The war of words has started. Hopefully we will see some hard competition from 26th on the ground and lets hope that the most await cricket series this year lives upto top billing
(Compiled report from various news sources for funenclave)