Cricket: Ponting targets dads’ army

Australia captain Ricky Ponting says his team will target India’s ageing batsmen, including star Sachin Tendulkar, when the opening match of the four-Test series starts today.

Australia will field a relatively inexperienced team, but Ponting said his youthful lineup will try to make some of their opponents look "past their use-by date".

"That’s what we’re trying to achieve, to put their older guys under immense pressure," he said. "We know if we do that, and make little things stand out, their whole media over here will just jump on them, especially if they lose an early game."

India will once again rely heavily on its so called "Fab Four," made up of veterans Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V. V. S. Laxman.

Former captain Ganguly, 36, announced on Tuesday he will retire after the Australia tour, and Ponting now wants to put pressure on the other three.

Australia have outlined their strategy to bowl at the batsmen instead of the usual ploy of delivering outside the off stump, successful on the tour of 2003-04.

India coach Gary Kirsten, a former South Africa Test opener, said his big-name players were ready for the tactic.

"We are very aware of what their plans are and we have prepared accordingly," Kirsten said.

"We’ve got very talented batsmen and really what we are looking for is for a few of them to get into good form early in the series."

Australia also have concerns over older players – including opener Matthew Hayden, who returns after missing the West Indies series with a heel problem – and a bowling attack that is untried in India and without a top-line spinner.