The Indian cricket team is going to leave Indian shores on 17th Dec. 2007 for a grueling 4 test and a triangular one day tournament featuring Sri Lanka down under, but what are its chances of winning down under.

The Indian cricket team under its newly appointed captain Anil Kumble is currently high on confidence after beating their arch rivals Pakistan in the recently concluded test series 1-0 after a long gap of 27 years on home soil. The positive aspect of recently concluded series has been that almost all batsmen have attained form, Sourav Ganguly is back doing what he does best – scoring runs, Sachin is at its best too, the bowlers are bowling pretty well the only worrying fact is that the “Wall” hasn’t been able to get back his form.

Well, realistically speaking what are chances of team India winning a test series in Australia, well let me make it very clear I am no cricket expert or have played cricket at the highest level this is just a fan’s view.

In my opinion I will give Indian cricket team 35% chances of winning a test series in Australia, it would have been 50-50 if the recently concluded series against Pakistan would have been played on more sporting and bouncier wickets, the ones akin to the pitches India will find in Australia. This would have provided the Indian cricket team the ideal platform to launch its quest of winning a test series in Australia. Right, in the last series India did exceptionally well – they actually came close to winning the series- but this is also a fact that no one at that time gave the Indian team any chances including the cricket pundits and fans – all predicted a whitewash.

We all know what kind of a fierce competitor the Australian cricket team is – they don’t take anything lying down and they have already started doing their homework, the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee series is a proof of that. We also know that Australians don’t take defeat so easy and they will be ready to pounce on any chances, not to forget that the Australians cricket team is still smarting under its defeat in the T20 semi-final, so expect them to come as hard as they can.

The Indian selectors have chosen a well balanced side to tour Australia, the inclusion of V. Sehwag in the team do come as a surprise too many but in my opinion it’s a well though gamble which the Indian team has taken. Now it’s to Sehwag to stand up and deliver or else it will be curtains for him for a long time as far as international cricket is concerned.

Well, I sincerely hope and pray that the players don’t get distracted by the intense media gaze who will follow them like a shadow and also our bowlers don’t get carried by seeing grass and bounce on pitches-just bowl to what your strength is. Well for the batsmen, lets hope they exercise some restraint in their stroke play and value their wicket.

Well, whatever be the outcome of the series…one thing is sure it will be exciting watching the series unfold on tube. I am keeping my fingers crossed and wishing all the best to Team India…..