Australia confident of countering spin threat

Adam Gilchrist, Australia's stand-in captain, has said that his batting line up have a game plan to counter India's spin attack, and they are confident going into the first Test, which starts on October 6 at Bangalore.

"We are all ready to go," said Gilchrist. "We've toured India and Sri Lanka, and we feel very comfortable with our game plans and how we approach the spinners. All the guys are looking forward to the Test. There are no real demons out there for us now."

The last time Australia toured India - the epic 2001 series - Harbhajan Singh, India's prodigiously talented offspinner, picked up 32 wickets in three Tests, and India came back from a heavy defeat in the first match to win the next two, and secure a 2-1 series victory. Harbhajan and Anil Kumble, the seasoned legspinner who needs just three wickets to reach 400, will once again lead India's bowling this time round.

But the touring Australians had little trouble notching up scores of 302 for 7 and 207 for 2 in their three-day warm-up match in Mumbai on a wicket tailor-made for spin bowling. Justin Langer overcame soaring temperatures to reach a century in Australia's second innings, and Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and Damien Martyn all passed fifty during the match.

"It was good to start the tour like this," Gilchrist said of the game, which ended in a draw yesterday. "We lost half a day due to rains, otherwise there could have been a result. Still we had a few good days in Bombay. We had a quality time out in the middle against the spinners. Now it depends on how we take this lesson into the Test series. We have come with a game plan on tackling the Indian spinners. It depends on how we execute that plan."

Gilchrist also praised Glenn McGrath's effort in the match. McGrath, who missed Australia's home series against India and the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year through injury, picked up 4 for 25 in 21.2 overs

"Glenn is coming out of one-day cricket and it was good to see him settle into a nice groove," Gilchrist added. "It bodes well for us."

Gilchrist is leading the side in the absence of Ricky Ponting, who has been ruled out of the first two Tests after breaking his thumb while fielding during Austrlia's defeat to England in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy last month.