GUWAHATI, Nov. 7: There has been a lot of talk about Australia having their "backs to the wall" with members of the squad hitting the injury list with astonishing regularity. However, the so-called "down and out Aussies" have certainly proved what character is all about.

Trailing 1-2 in the series, they were written off by many who predicted smooth sailing for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men thereafter. But they seemed to have forgotten that people Down Under swear by "Australianism", and it is solely due to this trait that the Ricky Ponting-led side lead the series 3-2 despite numbering bowlers yet to make a name even for their respective clubs.

Thus, it’s time now for India to get down to business and get their act together at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday if they are to keep the series alive. Without doubt, they still stand a good chance of wrapping it up, but the opportunity of routing a relatively weakened Australian team may not come back again in a hurry.

Rather, given the current scenario, Australia’s confidence will be sky-high especially after their win at Hyderabad when India needed only 19 runs from three overs with four wickets in hand. In that situation, other teams would have given up long ago and just stood and admired Sachin Tendulkar, who dominated the bowling at will.

Refusing to go through the motions, however, the Aussies once again proved why they were the real side to beat. On the other hand, India’s hopes of drawing level rests on the one and only Tendulkar who may have to produce another blistering knock after the 175 in Hyderabad as the other batsmen have been far too inconsistent.

During Saturday’s training session as well, Tendulkar batted with extreme focus in the nets setting an example for others. Besides Virender Sehwag too needs to stay in the crease and convert his 30s and 40s into a big score, though he was the only one missing during the day’s optional practice session.

The middle-order too hasn’t been consistent enough in the series apart from in one or two matches. Coach Gary Kirsten gave left-handers Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja long stints separately at the nets, speaking to both whenever they came up with a loose stroke. Importantly, both Raina and Jadeja looked fluent the other evening but left the job incomplete. Fielding too is another area that needs attention as India’s work here was below par with as many as three relatively easy chances put down in Hyderabad.

Even the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar and other lower-order batsmen spent more time in the nets. "We preferred to have a lighter session as some of the guys needed rest. That’s why we asked the lower-order batters to spend more time in the middle," skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni explained.

At the same time, the hosts will need to focus on negating the Shane Watson factor as early as possible. Ever since the Champions Trophy, Watson has had a major influence in the Australian team, with India too getting a taste of his blade in the last couple of matches.

Teams

INDIA (probable): Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel/Sudeep Tyagi, Ashish Nehra.

AUSTRALIA (probable): Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Adam Voges, Graham Manou, Mitchell Johnson/Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.