Uthappa can help Dhoni with a neat mix of his desire to play the if-it’s-there-to-be-hit-I will-hit-it shots, and his resolve to play a longer innings. The Indian top-order has been wobbly, but with the return of Ganguly as opening partner to Tendulkar, Uthappa at one-drop is the best bet in the likeliness of Gautam Gambhir sitting out with a groin strain that the left-hander picked up during nets.

The bowling has fluctuated with the new and the old kookaburra, and the Australians, particularly Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke, have exploited the middle overs and dominated the slog overs due to the lack of a quality fifth bowler.

India may include left-arm spinner Murali Kartik in place of Rohit Sharma and revert to a 6-5 combination. Australia have struggled to get past Harbhajan Singh as much as India have failed to read Brad Hogg. Harbhajan is expected to come good again here—his first international game on the ground where he started his cricket, and there are similar aspirations and reasons from in-form Yuvraj Singh as well.

The toss could play an important role here, with a hint of early morning moisture. The pitch otherwise looks good to sustain at least 65 overs of battering from the willow.

On the opposition camp, the Australians have shown constant form. Their batting has been superb, their new-ball pair has been brilliant, and their spinner has given enough reasons for Ricky Ponting to be happy. Only Nathan Bracken has been not involved, and chances are that he might come in in place of James Hopes.

... contd.