Time to get tough

Indian coach John Wright says the time has arrived for his richly talented team to shed its reputation as easy roadkill away from home.

Regardless of the result in the four-Test series in Australia this summer, Wright wants his side to be able to say it fought as hard as any touring team has against Steve Waugh's men.

The Indians have been guilty of adopting a defeatist mentality even before getting on the field in previous overseas tours -- and Wright wants that to change.

"This is a big country with very passionate cricket fans," he said.

"What the fans deserve is a team that really fights hard in every situation.

"If we go over there and play with the right attitude, intensity and determination, we will play good cricket."

Wright is also under no illusions as to the mountainous task that awaits his side.

"It will be the toughest tour since I came to India and joined as coach," said New Zealander, who was appointed coach of the team in November 2000.

"They are rated as the number one team of the world. You have to be realistic... We will start as underdogs."

The former New Zealand captain and doughty opening batsman, has added toughness and structure since replacing Kapil Dev not long before Australia's epic series in India two years ago.

He is a firm believer in the methods of former Australian coach Bob Simpson and carries around a newspaper article in which Simpson tells how he helped Allan Border's side emerge from the darkness of the 1980s.

As a fighting left-handed batsman, Wright was part of the touring 1985-86 New Zealand side that beat Border's men 2-1 -- the only time the Black Caps have left Australian shores victorious.

"You can give an awareness, but at the end of the day they (India) are international cricketers," the 82-Test veteran said.

"Those are the things the players have to work out for themselves."

India has not won a series of two or more Tests on the road in the past decade and has yet to prevail in Australia in seven attempts since 1947-48.

During their last tour to Australia, the visitors, led by batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, crashed to heavy defeats to be blanked 3-0 by the hosts. The one day series was an equally disastrous affair, with India only managing one win from their eight matches against Australia and Pakistan.

Wright said it was crucial that skipper Saurav Ganguly and his men issued a statement of intent on the opening day of the first Test.

The Indians are well aware of the mistake then England skipper Nasser Hussain made last summer when he gave Australia the psychological upper hand by bowling first in Brisbane after winning the toss.

Ganguly, who missed out most of the TVS Cup tri-series due to injury, is one player whom the coach is desperately hoping will recover in time to make the trip.

"We are hoping that he will be alright before the tour begins," Wright said.

"It's a minor injury. He should even have no problem in playing the two three-day games ahead of the Tests."

For India, it will be vitally important that Ganguly remains fit to lead out the team given the tremendous fighting spirit that he manages to instill in the side.

India's tour begins with a three-day game against Victoria starting on Tuesday, before heading north for a final warm-up match against a Queensland XI.