Heads you win, Tails you lose!

Indian cricket has always been full of hype and unmatching reality. To be fair, Indian cricket has had two glories to its credit. Once in the year 1983, when one catch changed the match in the finals. The other in the year 2007, when Misfortune-ul Haq played one of the most unbelievable mis-shots of his life.

Its not that I am not giving India due credit, but I think they really didnt know themselves they could win the tournaments. That to me, is enough reason to not really look at these achievements in the brighter light of things. Its not like I didnt enjoy the second win, I was one of the people jumping up and down in office, when I heard it first. (20/20 win)

A true win should be something which is already believed in the mind, of each team member and the group as a whole and its a matter of executing the right things to get the right result. At this point of time only two teams can do this. One ofcourse is Australia, which I hate to see, and the other West Indies - when they play Zimbabwe.

In this context, the Indian team has in the past few days, being talking a lot about their Oz trip. Interviews by almost most of the who's who in the team - talking about a lot of positiveness and a lot of confidence. Such words are always spoken of when the team is playing a home season and not an away season.

I have - to the best of my ability - not remembered any overseas trip, leave alone an Oz trip, when such brave words have been put forward by the team in as many words. Every key member of the squad from the captain (who normally speaks anyway!!), Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman have come out with statements of positivism.

How does this actually reflect the psyche of the series -behind the walls of the changing room and beyond the reach of the reporters' mike? My own two cents are as follows:

The senior 'band of brothers' in the Indian team are aware that this is their last chance to play in Australia. They have to make the most of it, in terms of attitude and approach. Normally Oz tours start off a couple of weeks earlier with a statement from McGrath or Warne - bowlers who are confident of their game - or from the lateral gang of the Australian wagon like Ian Chappell or Mark Waugh.

This time around, Warne and Chappell are hitting it out at their own goalie... John Buchanan. It sort of reflects, for once, that there is some infighting happening in Cricket Australia's power circles. This can have an impact on the australian players as well. Symonds came out and said that Australia would be aggressive but would not cross the line. After a long time, someone from the core Aussie squad has acknowledged the fact that there does exist a line and that they did cross it very much, atleast in the past.

If the series was totally rained off (hypothetically) and the series was played out in word games, India would win hands down. But cricket being largely a mind game, it wouldnt be suprising if players take this advantage to the gladiatorial arena. Weather permitting, it would all become clear in the first match - Boxing day. The side the needle swings, would be decided in the first few hours. If India manage to win the toss and bat, it would really mean that the first day total would sum up who is going to be on top of the series.

Win the first one and win the series... draw the first game and with a lot of positives and you can still win the series. If India lose the first match, then it would be yet again - heavy words, no action to match it.

Its not just the players who need to prepare for their game. Keen followers like myself also have to prepare mentally for watching it and appreciating it - in the way its played.

Really amazing how the flip of a coin can change the way the series is played. Good that ancient wars didnt have a coin to decide who attacked first. History wouldnt just have been the same!