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Chennai: Shrugging off disappointments from the last season, India will seek to reaffirm their supremacy on home soil when they take on a new-look Australian side in the first cricket Test on Friday in what promises to a thrilling four-match series.
The Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership will ideally look to re-establish their invincibility at home -- which has largely been dented by their 1-2 Test series defeat against England last year.
Australia, on the other hand, will be happy to emulate England and considering that they have come with a no-so experienced side will make it even more praiseworthy.
India versus Australia series over the years have had some memorable matches and one would expect that it won't be any different this time around.
Michael Clarke said on the first day of practice after a look at the track that he won't be surprised if India decide to play four spinners in the first Test starting on Friday.
While the Aussies preferred to show their cards ahead of the duel, the Indians maintained their old habit of adding an element of mystery in their choice of final XI. R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha had long bowling stints in the nets on Wednesday and it's beyond doubt that these two will play.
It's understood that the third spinner is also a certainty, and the toss-up is between Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh. If Jadeja plays, he will bat at No 7, with MS Dhoni at 6.
Bhajji didn't bowl for very long at the nets on Wednesday but he looked pretty relaxed, confident of playing his 100th Test at a venue where spinners have traditionally felt comfortable bowling. If Ashwin, Ojha and Bhajji all play, the only pacer in the line-up is likely to be Ishant Sharma, who bowled his heart out in the Chennai heat on Wednesday.
Portuguese-born all-rounder Moises Henriques has been handed a Test debut ahead of Glenn Maxwell for the first of the four-match series, starting on Friday.
James Pattinson, whose summer was cut short by a side injury, has been recalled as the third fast bowler alongside Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle.
The tourists will, however, field only one frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon, with captain Michael Clarke and opener David Warner expected to share the burden on slow-bowling front.
Henriques, who will become the 432nd player to wear the baggy green, looked in good form in Australia's two warm-up matches, scoring 16 and 33 in addition to taking 4-12 and 1-30 with the ball.
The 26-year-old has won the race for the all-rounder's spot ahead of fellow uncapped player Glenn Maxwell, who's been named 12th man.
The swashbuckling Warner, too, has been named in the playing XI despite not having fully recovered from a fractured thumb.
Warner will in likelihood open the batting with the solid Ed Cowan, followed by Phil Hughes, Watson and Clarke in the middle-order.
Teams
India (from): MS Dhoni (Capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Murali Vijay.
Australia: Michael Clarke (Capt), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade (wk), Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc.
Pitch & condition
This pitch is dry and three quality spinners should be enough. The Chepauk pitch has a bald look to it and old-timers suggest the ball will turn from Day 1. Temperatures are expected to be around 30 degrees and no rain is predicted over the next week.
Stats & trivia
Match facts
February 22-26, 2013
Start time 9:30 local (04:00 GMT)
