Date:14/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091459461700.htm

Sport - Cricket

India is favourite, says Harbhajan

Melbourne: Picking out the spin department as the weak link for the Australians, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said that his side is the favourite to win the four-match Test series starting in Bangalore on October 9.

With two rookie spinners in the Australian ranks and without the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist from the world-conquering squad of 2004, Harbhajan said India would look to amend its home 1-2 series loss that time.

“If you compare the team that Steve Waugh came with to now, it is obviously a lot different. It is obviously a big advantage to us that players like Gilchrist, McGrath and Warne are not around this time.

“The last time they beat us, but I think that if we play to the level we’re capable of, we can defeat them,” the off-spinner told Sydney Morning Herald.

“They are still the number one ranked team in the world, and it is always a challenge to play them,” added Harbhajan. — PTI