Ian Chappell has said that Ponting is a better captain than Steve Waugh and is more agressive. What cricket fans know is that Steve was a fighter to the core and is the one to achieve a sequence of 16 wins earlier.
Hayden is challenging India to repeat their Perth performance at Adelaide. One doesn't remember any Aussie player challenging either South Africa or England, their more fancied rivals at any time before this, but often mauled these two quietly.
Phil Jaques is reportedly pleased to have Hayden back in the team. But what is unreported that he is perhaps getting free of butterflies, not really becoming confident.
Shane Warne says that Aussies lost Perth test because they did not exhibit their usual aggression.
Ponting himself is not sure that Aussie domination is at crossroads.
All these talks by ex and present Aussie players clearly and unmistakably point out one thing. After their ODI tour of India recently, jitters sent in. After the first day of Melbourne test, the discomfort increased. After scraping through Melbourne, the quest for repeating 16 win records degraded them to their worst behaviour ever in Sydney.
And now, make no mistake, Perth defeat has surely put them in disarray. Seldom do barking dogs bite.
Team India and Kumble should take full advantage of this fear factor in the minds of Aussies at Adelaide and play for a majestic win.
