September 14, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 13, 1429

MELBOURNE, Sept 13: Picking out the spin department as the weak link for the Australians, Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has upped the ante by asserting that his side are the favourites to win the four-match Test series starting in Bangalore on Oct 9.

With two rookie spinners in the touring Australian ranks and without the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist from the world-conquering squad of 2004, Harbhajan said that India would look to amend their home 1-2 series loss that time.

“If you compare the team that Steve Waugh came with to the one that’s coming you will see the difference. It is obviously a big advantage to us that players like Gilchrist, McGrath and Warne are not around this time.”

“I genuinely think that if we play to the level we’re capable of, we can defeat them,” the feisty off-spinner said. “They are still the number one ranked team in the world, and it is always a challenge to play them. But we think we have a very good chance,” added Harbhajan, who took 21 wickets from three matches in 2004.

Harbhajan predicted a tough time for the rookie spinners Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza on slow sub-continental pitches and said Indian batsmen will have fun playing against them.

“We were always aware of Shane Warne when we played Australia at home and now that he is not there, it is obviously good for us.”

“Warne and Stuart MacGill have both been great spin bowlers. There are no spinners in Australia like Warne and MacGill and I’m sure our batsmen, who are the best players of spin in the world, are going to have fun with this challenge.”

The off-spinner had words of comfort for Andrew Symonds.

“He [Symonds] is obviously a great player and there is no doubt about his ability to change a match. He has done a lot for Australian cricket. I hope he is well, and that he is getting better,” Harbhajan said.

The Australian squad announced on Friday contained four uncapped bowlers. The pace department of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson have no experience of playing Tests in India although they all have played limited-overs cricket.—Agencies