The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Sydney

India will bank on their big batting four to notch up the runs to claim a historic first series win in Australia, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

India have won just four Tests in eight Australian tours, but pushed Steve Waugh's Australians all the way in the drawn 1-1 last series tour here in 2003-04.

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar believes India have their best chance of beating Australia on their home grounds for the first time.

Tendulkar forms the most experienced middle-order quartet in world cricket with Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman, weighing in with 32,610 runs gleaned from a total of 442 Tests and with 87 centuries between them.

"I think it would be the most important tour (ever) if we can pull it off," Tendulkar told a pre-Test match press conference.

"Beating Australia is obviously the ultimate thing because of the way they have played for so many years, so it makes it a special tour."

"The Little Master," who ranks second to West Indian Brian Lara as the highest run-getter in Test history with 11,289 runs, is rated one of the greatest batsman of all-time and was a favourite of late Australian cricket icon Don Bradman.

The Indians fancy their chances on the strength of their impressive recent away record-Test series victories in the West Indies in 2006 after 35 years and then in England in 2007 after 21 years, under Rahul Dravid.

New skipper Anil Kumble recently led his side to a 1-0 win in the three-Test series against Pakistan, India's first success against their rivals at home since 1980.

But Australia ranks as the toughest challenge for all touring teams Down Under. Australia's last home series loss was 14 years ago to the West Indies 2-1 and they have been unbeaten in 26 subsequent home series.

Under Ricky Ponting, the Australians have won their last 14 consecutive Test matches and are the undisputed world champions at Test and one-day level.

It will be a supreme test for the Indians, starting with the showcase Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. But this time they do not have to contend with Australia's two bowling titans, Shane Warne (708 wickets) and Glenn McGrath (563 wickets), who retired from Test cricket earlier this year.

It will be up to Brett Lee (247 wickets in 61 Tests) to lead an inexperienced bowling lineup and the challenge of dismissing the powerful Indian batting order, for Australia to claim victory in each Test.

Lee will be backed by a relatively inexperienced support crew-Shaun Tait (5 wickets in two Tests), Stuart Clark (54 wickets in 11 Tests), Mitchell Johnson (8 wickets in two Tests) and leg-spinner Brad Hogg (9 wickets in four Tests).

Much will depend on pace spearhead Lee, man of the series in last month's 2-0 home Test win over Sri Lanka, to blast out the Indian batting.

But the Indians will be a tough nut to crack with Dravid (9,683 at 55.97), Ganguly (6,346 at 43.17) and Laxman (5,292 (44.10) backing up Tendulkar on the score of experience and durability.

The Australians will be banking on the runs from their experienced trio, opener Matthew Hayden (7,832 at 52.56), Ponting (9,508 at 59.43) and Adam Gilchrist, the most dangerous No.7 in Test cricket, with 5,420 runs at 49.27.

Mike Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and the emerging opener Phil Jaques give Australia's top-order a solid look.

It should be a high-scoring four-Test match series with the Melbourne Test followed by Sydney (January 2-6), Perth (Jan 16-20) and Adelaide (Jan 24-28).

AFP, Melbourne

Australia's vice-captain Adam Gilchrist Sunday hit out at continual criticism of the national cricket team from high-profile former players.

He did not refer to specific individuals, but made his comments following a question at a press conference that referred to comments from former team- mate Shane Warne.

Warne, who retired from Test cricket last January after taking 708 wickets, and former captain Ian Chappell have recently attacked former national coach John Buchanan. Last week Warne said Australian cricket was in danger of becoming too arrogant and labelled Buchanan as "a goose".

But Gilchrist said Sunday: "There's been a lot said in the paper today, yesterday, this week it seems. "It (the national team) is an elite club and we've always felt a major characteristic of being in that club is to show respect.

"It just seems that some guys in retirement have lost that.

"I'm not sure why people are getting personal about things in the press t I think we, as a group, are just getting a little bit sick of a lot of the negative comments being afforded towards us or the people involved with the cricket team."

Gilchrist said he also hopes the upcoming four-Test series against India will be played without the on-field verbal clashes that marred Australia's ill- tempered one-day tour of India last October.

The Australian series gets underway with the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"It will be hard-fought, they're a team that has said they want to take the challenge up to us in an aggressive manner," Gilchrist said. "Hopefully t the players are not going to go down the route again of getting too carried away with it.

"It all got a bit out of control in the one-day series in India.

"We're both aggressive teams, we're talented teams, and we want to play hard, aggressive cricket and not go too far with it."

Gilchrist said he was not fussed about his Test batting average of 29.95 against India, well below his career 49.27 runs.

"I didn't know that stat and it doesn't worry me-I won't lose sleep over that tonight," he said.

AFP, Melbourne

Senior batsman V.V.S. Laxman said Sunday that India must match Australia for attitude and aggression in the pursuit of their first series win in Australia.

Laxman said attitude, rather than any particular strategy, would be key against the Australians in the opening Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia have not lost a Test series at home for 14 years and have a reputation for crushing the confidence of their touring opponents.

"The most important thing is you have to play aggressive cricket against them," Laxman told reporters.

"Whenever we've played aggressive cricket against them, we have done well t you have to play to your potential.

"The moment you give them a slight edge, they'll walk over you, so it's important you just come out and play your natural game of cricket, like we do."

But Laxman said that did not have to extend to the verbal niggle that marked Australia's one-day series in India two months ago.

"It's not necessary, it depends on individuals-every individual will be different, it's just how you play your cricket," he said.

"Especially your mindset-if you've got a lot of self- belief, I think you'll do well in Australia."

India have won just four Tests in eight Australian tours, but pushed Steve Waugh's Australians all the way in the drawn 1-1 last series tour here in 2003- 04.

Laxman plans to have a key role in the four-Test series.

"All the batsmen are supposed to get runs, whenever we've done well abroad, our batting scored huge runs, especially in the first innings," he said.

"I want to contribute in that and the most important thing is, play to the situation and try and play some match-winning knocks, which will help the team win the series."

Laxman has scored 5,292 runs at 44.10 in 86 Tests.

AFP, London

Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Kaka, last week named FIFA world player of the year, according to the English Premier League club's assistant boss Carlos Queiroz.

Ronaldo, 22, last week finished third behind winner Kaka at the FIFA awards.

But Queiroz said in the Sunday Mirror: "During my career, I have worked with some of the world's finest players like (Zinedine) Zidane, Ronaldo of Brazil, Raul, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos.

"Yet, I can honestly say, I have never seen such a football creation like Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Kaka has been named European Footballer of the Year and World Player of the Year, but in my opinion Ronaldo is better.

"The only thing that Kaka has that Cristiano doesn't is a Champions League title."

Queiroz believes Ronaldo, last season's footballer of the year in England, will soon bear comparison the all-time sporting greats.

He said: "Cristiano will not only become the biggest sporting attraction in England, but also in Europe and the rest of the world. "He will be a world star in football like Michael Jordan was in basketball.

"That is because both of these sporting greats share the same skill level in their different fields.

"They have both been blessed with a genius that has never been seen before."

AFP, Zagreb

FIFA world player of the year Kaka has said he would like to extend his contract with AC Milan until 2013 as well as becoming captain of the Italian giants.

In an interview with Croat newspaper Sportske Novosti, the 25-year-old Brazilian playmaker said: "It's true that we've talked about extending my contract until 2013 and we'll do that as soon as the club invites me to sign."

Kaka, who arrived in Milan in 2003, sees his current contract expire in 2011 and enjoys a salary of around six million euros a year, making him the best paid player in Italy.

"I want to become captain (of AC Milan) and leave a big impression with this great club," added Kaka, also recently named European Footballer of the Year after starring in Milan's run to the European Champions League title, then the European Super Cup and the recent Club World Cup.

Current club captain Paolo Maldini, 39, will retire at the season's end.