India will battle weather and fitness in tour opener

India get into action with their first tour game against Victoria on Thursday, two days after their arrival in Australia. The Indians won't be taking the game lightly given that it's the only practice match before the first Test, but both sides have concerns over injuries and the weather with rain forecast for the next three days.

Victoria have been in good form this season, equal on points with top-ranked New South Wales, and will take the game against India as a chance to blood allrounder John Hastings and batsman Aaron Finch.

Victoria's bowling will not be at full strength with fast bowlers Shane Harwood and Gerard Denton injured and Dirk Nannes being rested. Cameron White, the captain, is ruled out while Brad Hodge, who is to lead the side in White's absence, is an uncertain starter and will be passed fit only after his back is assessed on Thursday.

The visitors will look to playing most of their first-choice Test XI but Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, who didn't take part in training on Tuesday, are uncertain for the clash. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who along with Tendulkar and Zaheer missed the final Test against Pakistan in Bangalore, is fit to play the opener and said the game was a crucial one for the team.

"It's always better to have a few sessions before a big Test match [and] we don't really have much time for practice," Dhoni told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Tomorrow is crucial ... I think most of the players would love to play."

Tendulkar, Dhoni said, was improving, "[but] if he needs some more time to rest himself and recover, to be 100% for the first game, he can take it."

Dhoni played down talk of the team not having enough practice and of the importance of the forecast of rain. "You'd love to have more time [for practice], but that's too many ifs and buts," he said. "Even if it rains there's nothing can be done about it - we'll go indoors and have a knock, do whatever we can."

Dhoni said the team were aiming for a win. "If you are on the field and if you are playing you have got to win, there is no question of just playing the game for practice."

He said the team would have to adapt to the bouncy pitches in Australia. "Getting used to the conditions is very important ... so the practice game is important, especially when you're coming from a series in India," he said. "When you're playing in Australia, the length you're bowling is very important, very different to where you bowl in the sub-continent or England."

Meanwhile, Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, said despite missing a few regulars, his team would give India a tough fight. "We will come out and play some good quality cricket and I'm sure probably surprise them," he told sportal.com.au. "I think it [the pitch] will be quite grassy - it will be hard and I'm sure it will be a good cricket wicket with plenty of pace in it."

He said the team had enough strength in bowling and was expecting legspinner Bryce McGain to make an impression, which could aid him in winning the nod for a place in the Australian Test squad. Ricky Ponting revealed that McGain was considered by the selectors as a candidate for the Boxing Day Test.

"A four- or five-for from Bryce McGain here certainly throws his hat into the ring for the second Test," Shipperd said. "I was disappointed for Bryce [missing out on the Boxing Day Test] because I thought it was a 50-50 bet between him and Hogg."

Teams (from):
Victoria : Brad Hodge (capt), David Hussey, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Nick Jewell, Michael Klinger, Andrew McDonald , Bryce McGain, Robert Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade (wk), Allan Wise.

India: Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Pankaj Singh.