It could be Virender Sehwag earning a recall, or Suresh Raina, if Dhoni meant it when he said every player would get an opportunity.

Sachin Tendulkar is still grappling with his groin strain, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll sit this one out.

Super bowl

Harbhajan Singh, who seems to raise objections from the Australian media and fans for every raised arm, will roll them over in the middle-overs, along with Yuvraj Singh and, possibly, Sehwag.

Irfan Pathan, who got a bit of stick in the last game, will be looking to hit the correct areas and redeem himself on what has otherwise been a fabulous summer for him with the ball.

There were no practice sessions involved, but simple discussions towards evening on India’s plan of action — see off Brett Lee’s first spell and send the Australian top-order off with the new ball. In either situation, India expect to play on their opponents’ weakness, adding to their own strength.

The Australian batting has struggled with Matthew Hayden, Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds doing well only in patches. An early slew of wickets against a consistent attack has put the middle-order under tremendous pressure

In comparison, India’s batting card has evoked confidence and has a more settled look. In-form Gautam Gambhir at one-drop will once again be crucial in shaping the innings on a wicket where scores of 240-250 will be highly competitive under lights.

Yuvraj Singh hasn’t made the most of his fresh lease of life, getting out to casual shots, while the onus is on Rohit Sharma to sustain his good form.

... contd.