INDIA has adopted a ruthless mind set for its tour of Australia and is determined to heap the pressure on Michael Clarke's struggling side from the outset on Boxing Day.
Its 'Big Three' of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid spent quality time in the middle in India's practice match against a Chairman's XI side in Canberra today.
The tourists feel that will only increase the heat on the Australians.
No Indian team has ever won a Test series here and, for senior players like Tendulkar and Dravid, time is running out to achieve the elusive milestone.
But rather than distancing themselves from the pressure, they are embracing the challenge.
"Of course, it's something which we're looking at," Sharma said, who made 56 not out in the drawn practice game.
"I think we should be very much happy with the way things have gone ... in our preparation."
The fall-out from Australia's humiliating loss to New Zealand in Hobart also hasn't been lost on the tourists.
"It's a good sign they are having a batting camp so we know their weaknesses and what they've gone through the last couple of weeks," Sharma said.
"We have all kept that (Australia's under pressure) in mind and going into the first Test match we will walk out there and we need to put pressure on them."
The emergency batting boot camp called by Australia to address its worrying collapses can't be anything but music to the ears of the Indian seam attack, led by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
Australia has made capitulations of 150 runs or less a worrying habit over the past year and has long struggled against a moving ball.
Rohit Sharma said Australia's deficiencies against swing bowling is the No.1 weakness India has pinpointed ahead of the four-Test series, as it looks to recover from its own humiliating 4-0 whitewash to England in July-August.
India Ready to Bury Flustered Aussies
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