BANGALORE, Sept 30: India’s ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni cautioned his teammates on Tuesday against taking a new-look Australia lightly in the upcoming Test series, saying that even without stalwarts like Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist the world champions were the best in the world.

“It’s not about whether you have an experienced player or not. It’s about guys who will go out in the middle, take up responsibility and do well,” Dhoni said.

“So, that’s what you need out there. The team that will be victorious will be one that will play consistent cricket. Of course, experience does count but Australia have quite a few talented players who have played well,” he added.

Dhoni said the home side would do well if they take one match at a time instead of rushing through with their plans for the series.

“You can’t really be at your best if you are too desperate to perform,” the wicket-keeper batsman said when asked if the hosts were looking to settle a few scores against Ricky Ponting’s side. “It’s not about settling things, (and if) you get desperate, that can hamper your performance.”

Australia won a four-Test series 2-1 four years ago to record their first series victory on Indian soil in 35 years.

“Rather than getting desperate and wanting to settle things out there, we will rather take it match by match,” he told reporters after the second day of the preparatory camp at

M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, where the first Test starts on Oct 9.

Dhoni said Australians played well when they toured India last time in 2004 and with India also in good form, the series should offer loads of excitement to the fans. “While Australia are the top-ranked side, India also play really well (against it), and at the same time, there is some aggression on the field creating hype,” he said.—Agencies