Zeenews Bureau
Melbourne, Feb 01: Sachin Tendulkar is all set to make his Twenty20 debut when world champions India take on Australia in a one-off match in Melbourne with the visitors keen on maintaining their supremacy in the shortest form of the game. India have a perfect record against Australia in this format of the game.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made it clear that his team would not sit on the past laurels while also putting a rider that luck was a big factor in Twenty20 cricket.
"You have to create balance. I am the guy who doesn`t believe in the laurels of the past... Luck is a huge factor in this game."
He also said that the match would be a good warm-up for the newcomers ahead of the One-dayers.
"We will treat this Twenty20 game as a practice game as a lot of the boys who have been here still have not got a decent hit," he said.
Tendulkar was the keenest one going around the indoor nets as the Indians sought shelter from the rain.
Tendulkar`s mind for this game apparently was made up in Yuvraj Singh`s absence as the Indians sought to infuse a touch of experience in their largely young squad.
It still wasn`t clear if Tendulkar would come in as opener since India also needs an experienced hand to hold together the innings in the latter stages.
Still, the Indians are likely to follow the dictum of keeping your best batsmen at the top of the order and hence Tendulkar is unlikely to bat lower than number four.
Most of the rest, excepting Virender Sehwag, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh, would have their initiation in Australian conditions on Friday.
Meanwhile, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been ruled out of the match due to a back injury, Australia coach Tim Nielsen said.
Batsman Michael Clarke, who deputised for Ponting in a Twenty20 match against New Zealand last year, will lead the side at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ponting was troubled by pain and stiffness in the lower back during the fourth Test against India in Adelaide this week.
"He pulled up pretty sore this morning," Nielsen told reporters on Friday. "His back is just not 100 percent."
"With the uncertain nature of Twenty20 cricket and the frantic nature of it we`re just a bit concerned that if he has to dive in the first over if we`re fielding and pulls up very sore it could leave us one short."
Brad Hodge is likely to bat at the crucial number three position for Australia.
Hosts are likely to field four fast bowlers` in its ranks with left-armer Nathan bracken and Brett Lee among the known names and not so well-known figures of Ashley Noffke and Ben Hilfenhaus.
Hilfenhaus is known as the swing king from Tasmania who is already touted for big things in England next year. He has a great outswinger which he delivers at a high pace. A bricklayer by profession, Hilfenhaus is a quiet character off the field and a volatile one on it.
Noffke is a fast bowler from Queensland who also swings the ball at a good pace. He first toured with the Australian team in the 2001 Ashes series but since then injuries have proven to be his bane. Like Hilfenhaus, he too is touted for big things in Ashes next year.
Australia has tinkered with its batting line-up as well with David Hussey, the younger brother of the Test star Michael, expected to make his debut tomorrow.
David has been in irrepressible form in Twenty20 in the Pura Cup and has got his runs at a strike rate better than 100 per ball. His presence would make it first time since Waughs that Australia is being represented by two brothers.
Familiar nemesis Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds would be there but for Matthew Hayden whose injured right thigh, it appears, still needs time to heal. Test star Mitchell Johnson too has been given a break.
Along with David Hussey, Victoria`s Brad Hodge will also get a big game tomorrow. Both Hussey and Hodge are well-past their 30 and it`s an indication of how Australia still view their Twenty20 cricket.
A sell-out crowd of 90,000 is expected for ‘fast food’ version of the game which is to be preceded by a Twenty20 international between Australia and England women teams. It would be a teaser for the real stuff in evening at 7.30 pm between two teams who have quite a history between them for sometime now.
Teams:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma
Australia: Michael Clarke (Capt), Adam Gilchrist, Brad Hodge, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Bracken and Ben Hilfenhaus.
