Melbourne Test: Australia rookies face Indian greats

Australia may have an inexperienced batting top three but they are in form ahead of the opening Boxing Day Test against India, Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin said on Sunday.Australias top three in the batting order -- David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh -- have just five Tests between them in one of Australias most unfamiliar combinations in more than three decades.Warner has played just two Test matches but comes to the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a last start unbeaten 123 against New Zealand, while three-Test Marsh crunched 99 off 52 balls in domestic Twenty20 just days ago.Debutant Cowan earned selection on the strength of his 109 for a Chairmans XI against India this week along with three first-class centuries this season.While the Australian team is in transition, Indias top five batsmen -- Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman -- boast a combined tally of 610 Tests.In the first of four Tests for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy it is Indias experience against Australias untried potential.Wicketkeeper Haddin, who will be an important member of the Australian batting lineup at number seven, said it was time for the home team to stand up and meet the Indian challenge head on.Coach Mickey Arthur arranged a batting camp this week and Haddin said the three-day get-together was to clear the batsmens minds.Freeing your head, having no other thoughts in your head but just playing cricket, Haddin said.Pattinson, just 21, has taken 14 wickets in his two Tests against New Zealand, while Lyon has 22 wickets from his seven Tests at 24.59.Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman have indicated they will go after Lyon to dent his confidence.Were just hoping that we score some runs off him, try to put pressure on him, India skipper MS Dhoni said.The kind of experience we have got, that will really help us in executing our plans.Australian captain Michael Clarke said Lyon will have to be managed carefully during the series, but he regards him as a potential weapon against a team who are traditionally adept at playing spin bowling.Weve got to make sure we bowl Nathan at the right times, set the right fields to give him a little bit of protection and then attack when its time to attack, Clarke said.Tendulkar could score his 100th century in Tests and one-day internationals during the four-Test series.He has been anchored on 99 hundreds since March and Dhoni said Tendulkar was putting aside the speculation and pressure linked to his impending achievement.