India will play a seven-match ODI series against the visiting Australians, with the first match to be played at Baroda on Sunday.

Neilson said that the biggest challenge is to play India before a crazy home crowd.

“The biggest challenge will be confronting the big names of the Indian cricket team in front of their home ground and making sure that we don’t get too emotionally into it, we just concentrate in doing what we do best,” said Neilson, as the visitors took to the nets in Mumbai.

Indian team is taking on Australia without ace bowler, Zaheer Khan.

Zaheer, recovering from a left-shoulder injury, has been spearheading the Indian bowling attack and he was conspicuous during the World Cup T20 as well as in the recently concluded Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“Zaheer Khan missing is definitely a good thing because he bowled so beautifully during the test series last year. But someone who is definitely a world-class bowler is Harbhajan Singh, so always really enjoyed facing him because he is such a great challenge. I am really looking forward to that,” said Shane Watson, Australian all rounder.

The venues of the other matches are Nagpur (October 28), New Delhi (October 31), Mohali (November 2), Hyderabad (November 5), Guwahati (November and Mumbai (November 11). (ANI)

MUMBAI - Australian cricket team coach Time Nielsen has said that he fears that captain-in-waiting Michael Clarke will be hampered by recurring back problems for the rest of his career. Though Clarke spoke positively about recovering from his latest flare-up in time to take part in the latter stages of the seven-match limited overs tour of India, Nielsen said he was more concerned about ensuring Clarke was fit enough to last the Australian summer and beyond, even if it meant not re-joining the squad until the first Test against the West Indies at Brisbane in November.

Source: Gaea Times