The Surfer

Where Lara excited and Warne enthralled, he [Tendulkar] has provided a wider satisfaction. There has been a purity about his batting, a simplicity of construction, a correctness of execution, a sense of everything being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. At the crease, he has offered the glory of the completed cathedral. His straight drive and square cut are definitive versions of the game's two finest strokes.

All international captains, be it a Nasser Hussain or a Steve Waugh, found to their dismay that they were dealing with a man who had the knack of getting under their skin and inspiring his team to perform above themselves. Not since the days of the Nawab of Pataudi had there been a leader who rallied his troops behind him. All that mattered for Ganguly was the skill of the player and not which region or state he belonged to

"It was a very emotional moment. After all that destruction and loss of life, to see England as the first Test team to play on the ground really brought a lump to my throat."

Lee will appear as himself in what his manager Neil Maxwell described as "a glorified cameo". It will take two days to film when the leader of the Australian pace attack has a break between matches.

Monty is a mechanical bowler rather than an intuitive one, which need not be a major disadvantage. Derek Underwood was pretty mechanical, too. But Panesar looks as if he's starting to panic when his tried-and-trusted mechanism is no longer producing the results. The action simply needs a 10,000-ball check-up. However he may need guidance beyond that about his overall strategy.

"He came back into the camp after we lost five games in a row and he was very keen to make sure that outcome wasn't repeated during our World Cup campaign. So he sat down and wrote a 10-point plan on how we were going to avoid that - and for Andrew to actually write something was remarkable."

Despite their last-minute appearance and the recent rains, India could put up a fight. Certainly the team has sound leadership. Anil Kumble is a calm captain capable of commanding loyalty from his contemporaries and respect from the youngsters. Australia crushes the anonymous and fraudulent. But none of the Indians are burdened with a weak mind. Most of the team are larger than life and have proud records and high expectations. They will not be easily cut down to size or beaten before a ball has been bowled.

"During the West Indies series we were looking at our baggy greens. I was looking at Gilly's and it was all frayed but mine was pretty brand new. Gilly said, 'I wish my cap was more like yours. I told him I'd prefer his cap because it was full of blood, sweat and tears.

The Indians will have noticed that Sri Lanka’s only top-class batsmen scored hundreds in their recent series and will feel that the deed can be done. Last time around India conquered fear in the first Test. Melbourne awaits a similar display of fortitude. If India arises on Boxing Day then anything is possible.