Make or break for India on Perth pitch

India's underperforming top order will need to produce something special when they face Australia in the third Test at the WACA Ground starting Friday if the tourists are to save the series. Down 2-0 in the four-Test series and without a century so far with the bat, India could scarcely have picked a tougher venue to try to rediscover their form and resolve after an ugly streak of six away Test losses on the bounce.

Perth's WACA strip is a world away from the low and slow subcontinent pitches India's batsmen thrive on, especially after groundsman Cam Sutherland boldly declared the venue finally back to its venomous best.

Sutherland predicted it would be considerably faster and bouncier than when Australia thrashed England by 267 runs there last summer and just two of the 40 wickets fell to spin.

Australian batsman Mike Hussey said a spicy deck would clearly favour the home side, who have been dominant so far against a disappointing India.

"I hope it's a nice, fast bouncy pitch," he said. "We play those conditions very well. "It is very different to what the Indian players are used to from their home country."

With the track ideal for seamers, Australia are considering playing four pacemen, something which has had mixed success in Perth down the years. Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who at the age of 33 finally plays his first Test at the WACA, denied his side -- heavy losers in the first two Tests -- were concerned about the conditions.

"There has been a lot of talk about how the wicket is going to play in such-and-such manner," he said. "We are confident as a bowling unit of taking 20 wickets." One positive for India is that a similar pitch prediction in Perth on their last tour, in 2008, saw the home side play four fast bowlers. But it backfired and the tourists won by 72 runs in a match where no batsman scored a century.

Of the Indian top order this time, only the formidable Sachin Tendulkar has looked consistently comfortable in the first two Tests, although his much-anticipated 100th international century has continued to elude him.

Tendulkar has 226 runs at 56.50 for the series, but he has received little support, with fellow veterans Virender Sehwag (108 at 27), Rahul Dravid (112 at 28) and VVS Laxman (71 at 17.75) all struggling.

Tellingly for his top-order team-mates, India's second-best batsman has been tailender Ravi Ashwin, with 143 runs at 35.75. That puts extra pressure on Tendulkar, who is playing just his third Test at the WACA.

Criticism is mounting at home of India's ageing stars after their dismal batting performances. India suffered their sixth successive overseas Test defeat, including four in England last year, when they lost to Australia by an innings and 68 runs in Sydney last week to go 2-0 down.

That followed a 122-run defeat in Melbourne in the opening Test. India's cause should be helped by the fact that Australia will be without young pace sensation James Pattinson, who took 11 wickets in the first two Tests but has been ruled out for the rest of the summer with a foot injury.

He joins fellow pace tyro Patrick Cummins and the experienced Mitchell Johnson, who ripped through England in Perth last summer, on the long-term injured list.

Their absence opens the door for veteran Ryan Harris, who also starred in that win over England, also picking up nine wickets as Australia successfully deployed a four-pronged pace attack

Pakistan: No repeat of spot-fixing

Pakistan manager Naveed Akram Cheema says he's "absolutely clear and confident" there will be no repeat of the spot-fixing scandal when they play England from next week.

The scandal, which ended with three Pakistan cricketers sent to a British prison last November, engulfed the teams' last test series in mid-2010.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced a code of conduct and an anti-corruption code and all these guys (the players) have been told," Cheema said on Tuesday ahead of the team's first training in Dubai.

"We are following those codes in letter and spirit so with those rules and regulations in place, I think the chances (of corruption) will be no more there. I'm absolutely clear and confident."

The 2010 series in the United Kingdom was completely overshadowed by allegations against Pakistan captain Salman Butt and teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

The trio were convicted in a court in London in November of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and jailed. During the trial the names of two players in the current Pakistan squad, fast bowler Wahab Riaz and batsman Umar Akmal, were spoken of by the prosecution as being under the influence of Mazhar Majeed, the players' agent who arranged the fixes with the convicted trio.

However, Cheema defended their presence in the United Arab Emirates.

"Let me tell you that natural justice is that unless someone is proven guilty one must not be penalised for that," he said.

Australian media accuses Virender Sehwag of creating rift

Before the Sydney Test, they chose to target Sachin Tendulkar , recalling the ugly Monkeygate scandal and terming it "Sachin's shame" . With two days to go for the Perth Test and India 0-2 down in the series, the sensation-hungry Australian media is up to its old mind games again. This time the target is Virender Sehwag.

A report in the Courier Mail has alleged - without offering any substantial evidence - that Sehwag is creating a divisive atmosphere in the Indian team dressing room, which is already reeling under the stress of two embarrassing defeats.

"Some teammates feel he (Sehwag ) should be captain instead of keeper MS Dhoni while his detractors are aghast at the lack of fight he has shown in several innings, including his meek second-innings surrender in Sydney when he displayed the resilience of a soggy tissue to waft an airy cut to Dave Warner from the eighth ball he faced," the report said.

The daily also reported that India's team harmony is brittle at the best of times because "their dressing room is a unique ensemble of vastly contrasting characters, cultures and cliques".

Ishant Sharma ready to strike at Aussies in Perth

Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan believes that fellow pacer Ishant Sharma will have a large impact on Perth Test against Australia, especially in the wake of him copping criticism for his middle finger salute to local fans at a go-karting venue.

Charged up about the incident, Sharma hit the practice nets at the WACA Ground yesterday looking intent on taking his anger out on Australia. He spoke at length with Sachin Tendulkar and bowled with extra sting during the session.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Zaheer Khan, as saying: ``Ishant Sharma has played on this ground before and … I`m sure he`s got fond memories of this ground and this is definitely going to be useful for him, to get that rhythm back and get amongst the wickets, which is important.

Khan further said: ``I feel he is bowling well. It`s just a matter of time before he starts taking wickets.

It was at the WACA Ground on India`s previous tour in 2007-08 that the tall fast bowler, at the age of only 19, transfixed then Australian captain Ricky Ponting with a spellbinding performance that emphatically announced his arrival on the international scene.

Four years later, Australia lead the Border-Gavaskar series 2-0, as they did in 2008 before Sharma`s theatrics helped drive India to a 72-run win in Perth. The Delhi quick is an established entity these days, not the fresh and largely unseen package of unbridled excitement that put Ponting in particular in a spin last time.

The hair is shorter - the wild, youthful mop top of 2008 replaced by a more polished look - and he is required, along with Zaheer Khan, to play the lead role in the attack.

He will look to do so in Perth from Friday driven by his displeasure at being abused and then at being photographed raising his middle finger to members of the public on Monday night.

Sharma was leaving a go-karting venue in the suburb of Belmont when, provoked by locals angry that the track had been shut down to accommodate the Indians, he reacted with a one-finger salute as the team was boarding the bus.

The bystanders had taunted Sharma and his teammates about go-karting, instead of training, saying they would be trailing 3-0 in the series by next week.

Zaheer Khan insists the Indians are in good spirits despite the mountain of criticism being directed their way, notably from former players and captains.

The strongest has come from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who queried why India had not been practicing since losing the second Test at the SCG last Friday.

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