Australia fast bowler Brett Lee (2nd R) jogs along with Shane Watson (L), skipper Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey (R) ahead of a training session in Jaipur on Wednesday.Photo: AFP

Anil Kumble, India's Test captain, has said the batsmen must step up if India are to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month. India go into the four-Test series against Australia on the back of two poor series -- against South Africa and Sri Lanka -- but Kumble is confident that each of his players will lift his game for the high-profile contests.
"Whenever we've won at home it's the batsmen who have scored huge runs and that's the key," Kumble said on the eve of the Irani Trophy game between Delhi and Rest of India in Vadodara.
India's top six batsmen scored only three centuries among them in six Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka. However Kumble said the series in Sri Lanka, which India lost 2-1, was a "one-off".
Australia won 2-1 when they last toured India in 2004-05 but only four members from their current squad have played Tests in the country before. "In the past every player has stepped up his game whenever we've played Australia," Kumble said. "We came close to winning in Australia and even in 2004 we lost out in Chennai on the last day due to rain.
"We have a great opportunity. They certainly lack experience in playing in India. Having said that, they are highly competitive team and are still No. 1. But we look at it as an opportunity to win the series. With the experience and skills that we have, we look to back that up with good performances to get the results."
Kumble hoped that Sachin Tendulkar, who averages 69.94 against Australia, would be fit for the series. "He is definitely a big player and he has done exceptionally well against Australia."

NO PROBLEM WITH CHAPPELL

Pti, Mumbai
Former India coach Greg Chappell's new role as assistant coach of the Australian cricket team is causing quite a stir ahead of the four-Test series but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) says it has no issues with the former Aussie captain.
"We have no issues with his new role. He's no longer with us," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, who is to step down after completing his term at the two-day AGM here on September 27-28.
Chappell has recently taken over as the chief of Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence and has come to India to prepare Ricky Ponting and his men for the rigours of the four-Test series against the hosts.
Shah said Chappell's tenure as India coach turned stormy because he chose to communicate with the players not directly but through the media.
"The media interest in cricket in India is so much that Chappell started falling for that. Rather than talking to the players directly he was seen communicating to the players through the media," the outgoing BCCI office-bearer told PTI.
ADEQUATE SECURITY
The government on Wednesday said that adequate security measures had been put in place for the visiting Australian cricket team.
"Every time a foreign cricket team visits India, appropriate security arrangements are made. This time also concerned authorities will make all necessary arrangements.
"If there is any particular request anywhere, that also will be looked into and taken care of," home ministry spokesman Onkar Kedia said in a statement.
The Australian cricket team arrived in the country on Monday and will be playing four Tests at Bangalore, Mohali, Delhi and Nagpur. The first match will begin on October nine.
Besides this, the visiting team would play practice matches at Jaipur and Hyderabad.