India 'scared' of Australia

Someone like VVS Laxman is really scared of the short ball Australia's Matthew Hayden Itinerary: Australia v India

Matthew Hayden has delivered the first stunning blow of the much-awaited Australia versus India Test series - almost a month before the first Test.

Hayden, who scored the highest Test score of all time against Zimbabwe last month, reckons India are running scared of Australia's all-conquering team.

"Like most world teams they get a bit intimidated by the names and I think by the way we play our cricket as well," said Hayden, who is in India with Australia's one-day team for the triangular TVS Trophy.

"They have probably fallen into the mistake of building us up a bit too much."

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India scored a memorable 2-1 Test series win at home in 2001 - in which Hayden starred for the losers - but in 1999-2000 had suffered a humiliating reverse in Australia.

They were hammered 3-0 with key batsmen Rahul Dravid (93 runs at 15.5), VVS Laxman (221 at 36.83) and Sourav Ganguly (177 at 29.5) all at sea on Australia's bouncy tracks.

AUS v INDIA: HEAD-TO-HEAD Tests played: 60 Australia 29; India 13; Draw 18 Tests in Australia: 28 Australia 19; India 3; Draw 6

Only Sachin Tendulkar, India's captain at the time, performed with credit, scoring 278 runs at an average of 46.

Hayden predicts another tough time for India's batsmen, who according to him are susceptible to short-pitched bowling.

"They are so loose outside off stump and someone like Laxman is really scared of the short ball," he said.

"In fact, I think the majority of them are worried about short-pitched bowling.You just have to look at the wickets they play on and see why they are going to nick a lot.

Hayden filled his boots against India in 2001

"It will be interesting to see their strategy coming into the Test series, whether they'll try to be aggressive or whether they'll try to make us bat for long periods of time."

Despite India's batsmen having an ordinary record in Australia, Hayden said his team would not be taking them lightly and identified Dravid as one to watch.

"Technically, he just keeps it really simple," Hayden said of the batsman nicknamed The Wall for his solid defence.

"He is really slow. He hasn't got a great deal of shots, not that he lets us know, anyway.

"Tendulkar is always dangerous because he can flay and get away with it and I guess Sehwag is the same."

Left-armers Zaheer Khan and the Ashish Nehra, recently rehabilitated from an ankle injury, are likely to spearhead India's pace attack.

Both were taken apart in this year's World Cup final after good qualifying form, while Zaheer conceded 10 runs and lost the verbal war with Adam Gilchrist and Hayden in the opening over of the match.

"We have already seen from Zaheer that he hits the track really hard back off a length, but in Australia we'll be pulling that," Hayden added.

"Is he going to be short and full, is he going to answer those questions?"

Questions, it seems, are something Australia will be posing in abundance as they look to continue their global dominance of the game.