04/10/2008 10:42 PM
Australia's four-Test series against India, starting on Thursday in Bangalore, is shaping as the toughest battle Ricky Ponting has faced as captain.
Since taking over from Steve Waugh in 2004 Ponting has lost only one series - the 2005 Ashes series in England - but the bookies believe that could change by the time this tour of the subcontinent is over.
The departures of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer failed to see Australia dethroned as the best Test-playing nation in the world but there were signs last summer the gap between Ponting's men and the rest had narrowed.
While Australia beat India 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it dominated only one Test, was beaten fairly and squarely in Perth, and needed some final-over heroics from Michael Clarke to win in Sydney.
Champion wicketkeeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist and Australia's two best spinners Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg have since retired.
That did not stop the Australians from leaving the Caribbean with a 2-0 series victory over the West Indies. But India in India is in a different league altogether.
If one has any doubts Australia is going through a generational change, then take a look through the touring party. Only four players - Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Clarke and Simon Katich - have played Test cricket on the subcontinent.
Normally a settled line-up, Australia has already pulled a minor surprise, naming Katich to open alongside Hayden. The all-rounder's berth vacated by Andrew Symonds is also a matter for conjecture.
The Australians pride themselves on adapting to foreign conditions quicker than any other team in the world, and will have to if they are to post a big enough score for its attack to defend.
Not only is India a worthy adversary, conditions on the subcontinent lays bare Australia's greatest weakness - its lack of proven spinning options.
In captain Anil Kumble and fiery offie Harbhajan Singh India has two world-class spinners with a combined total of 907 Test wickets. Not so Australia, whose spinning stocks are thin following the departures of Shane Warne, MacGill and Hogg.
That was exacerbated earlier in the tour when Bryce McGain, who appeared a certainty to make his Test debut in Bangalore, was sent home early due to injury.
That left the door ajar for Jason Krejza but he copped a pasting in Australia's only warm-up match, returning the hapless figures of 0-199 from 31 overs.
The chain of events has seen Cameron White, who seldom bowled for Victoria in first-class cricket last summer, emerge as Australia's leading spinner. That said, White did bowl with success for Australia against Bangladesh and on Australia A's tour of the subcontinent last month.
The responsibility to take wickets, however, will fall largely on the shoulders of the three-man pace attack of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.
Subtlety and guile, rather than raw speed, will be their weapons of choice.
Surprisingly, when the covers were peeled off the wicket at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium it revealed a deck likely to offer plenty of bounce.
That Australia has won its past two Tests there and India none from its most recent six dating back to 1995 will be of comfort to the tourists.
Indian batsmen have traditionally had no problems playing spin - even Warne was plundered in India - but are not so comfortable once the ball gets above the rib cage.
Still, India's batting aces Sachin