India will tour Australia this year at the end of the month. Both India and Australia will play a four-match Test series and a triangular ODI series with Sri Lanka.

Now, India will play in Australia and that is the real test for the India team. It is the great chance for India team to prove their talent in Aussie soil. After the Test series, both teams will play only one Twenty20 match. India team is now in good form after winning against the Pakistan team after 27 years. So, it will help and encourage them to continue their success.

A Test series with Australia is under way under the captaincy of Anil Kumble. For most of the senior players, it will be the last tour to Australia and they may have to make the most of the match. The four-match series could be the last Test tour of Australia for batting greats Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman, as well as leg spinner Anil Kumble and they are intent on clinching their country's first series win on the game's toughest terrain.

Despite being one of the strongest in Australian team, Brad Hogg has been replaced by Stuart McGill. Both sides have injury concern and tehre is a threat of rain. Many important Australian players have been rested because of injury.

The Indian team will lose in the Test series with or without Sharne Warne and McGrath. The masters of world cricket will rip through the Indian bowling and batting attacks. There will be great knocks by Ponting, Glichrist. Fall of wickets and sudden rot of Indian top order and middle order will be common. The media will keep on giving hope to India which has a chance of winning one Test. Performance of the Dhoni, Sachin, Dravid will be very good.

India will enter the final of the triangular series with Australia.

I still pray to God that India does well. The indivdual matches will be predicted later.As such one more smooth year for Tamil Nadu with Godess Lakshmi and Sarswathi smiling at the T Nagar markets and the ECR Road.

KB Gopalakrishnan