We'll do well against Lee - Ganguly

Few teams can claim to have a 4-4 record against Australia over the last seven years but India's have shown they can mix it with the best, Sourav Ganguly has said.

"We are the only team in the world that's done well against Australia home and away over the last five to six years. We all know they are a good side but we also have the side to beat them," he said two days before the first Test in Melbourne, his 100th, starting on Boxing Day.

"We've won in every country over the last six to seven years and most of the boys in the team have the experience of winning abroad. They know what it takes - putting up runs and taking wickets. I think even the Australians realise - and I'm friends with a few of them - that it's India that are the only one to have competed with them in the last six years. From that point of view, it makes the series interesting."

Ganguly led India in their drawn series in 2003-04, a memorable series which he kickstarted with a sublime century in Brisbane. "Last time, we came as underdogs and did well. We probably have a better bowling attack this time [compared to last] and with [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni at No. 7 have a strong batting line-up too. It's about performing out in the middle. What we did in 2003 won't make a difference."

India will go into the series under-cooked, with their only practice match being severely affected by rain, but Ganguly said they all knew what to expect. "International cricket is the same everywhere - fast bowlers hurry you up and get extra bounce," he said when asked about the pacy conditions he might encounter.

"I heard the wicket has slowed down in Melbourne but there will still be carry for the seamers. Sydney and Adelaide will spin and Perth will bounce more. Most of these players have been around for 12 to 13 years and have fantastic records. So they'll expect bounce and pace. We have to learn to adapt."

"It's not the first time that they'll be facing someone bowling at 90mph. We just played Shoaib [Akhtar], who's probably the fastest bowler in the world. It will help us in this series. [Brett] Lee's doing well, he's bowled well. But I think we'll do well against him."

Did he think there were any weaknesses in this Australian side, one that's racked up 14 Test wins in a row? "They'll obviously miss [Glenn] McGrath and [Shane] Warne," he said after a thoughtful pause, "because you're looking at 1200 wickets between them. But I'm sure people like [Mitchell] Johnson, [Stuart] Clark, [Brad] Hogg are looking forward to Test cricket. They have the ability and I'm sure they'll be good as well."

On his last visit, Ganguly was picked out as one of the weak links in the strong batting line-up with the Australians promising "chin music". This time, though, with him being in such fine nick, no such talk has surfaced. "Even after I got a hundred in Brisbane someone said they was talking about 'chin music'," said Ganguly with a smile. "It's a part and parcel of sport."

Ganguly wasn't the least surprised that one of his fiercest rivals on the field, Steve Waugh, had backed him in a newspaper column recently. "Whatever happened in the past was in an effort to win matches," said Ganguly playing down the rivalry. "I've said before that he's one of my role models. He led a tough side, and made them compete hard. He lifted Australian cricket and what it is today is partly because of him."