Australian opener Matthew Hayden today declared talk - and tour match form - to be cheap as he predicted the tourists would demonstrate how meticulously they'd prepared for the first Test against India in Bangalore starting Thursday.
Hayden, 36, has made only 50 runs in three innings at an average of 16.67 so far on tour, in his first international assignment since a serious Achilles injury.
But he insisted he'd done all he needed to be ready for the Tests.
He also said that Indian bluster about this series being the home side's best chance to unseat Australia was meaningless until it could be backed up by strong actions on the field.
"It's easy to say that (it's India's best chance), you can say all sorts of stuff, we'll see," Hayden said today.
"I don't think there's any one factor that we're really struggling at, but we'll see, and that's going to be up to us in their country to produce a good result.
"From my perspective, to get into that space that is very unique to these conditions is the most important thing, rather than hitting billions of balls and getting lots of time in the middle, I think the Test matches are where I want to try to do that, and I know how to play well here for sure.
"I've done a lot of the foundations to batting well, and even yesterday after I got out I was able to go out to the nets and work on something specific to do with what I need to get ready for on Thursday, so I feel in a really good spot."
Australia were left with a number of headaches after their drawn match against the Indian Board President's XI, not least of which was the complete domination the local batsmen enjoyed over spinner Jason Krejza.
On the batting front, the Australians lost plenty of wickets to spin, and apart from Mike Hussey (126no) and Ricky Ponting (58no), no-one else passed 50.
"Although we probably haven't hit the ground running so far as a performance goes, I think just to get your mind into that space of a) how you're going to play the longer version of the game, and b) how you're going to play it in this territory, I reckon is such a brilliant way to get involved," Hayden said.
When the Tests begin, Hayden will re-start his battle with Harbhajan Singh, a contest the Australian said would be full of tension, but perhaps not quite as much as outsiders may perceive.
Last summer, Hayden earned a reprimand from Cricket Australia for calling Harbhajan a "little obnoxious weed" in a radio interview.
"There's a lot less of the personal tension with Harbhajan than what gets made out, in a lot of ways to me I feel if that's affecting him that's a good thing for Hayden, because I don't feel like I'm harbouring any massive resentment," Hayden said.
"It's going to have Test match tension, and I don't feel threatened by that, the only thing that threatens me is what balls he can deliver to get me out, and that's been a great source of motivation not just amongst Harbhajan but everyone, they've got a very solid bowling attack, right round."
