India go into the Nagpur Test with the satisfaction of their good performance at Chennai and also with the euphoria of having Sachin back in the team. But to put up a good show, India desperately need the batsmen to score runs and Harbhajan and Kumble to recreate their magic even if the pitch doesn't offer them as much assistance as they got in the first two Tests.

Indians are down in the series and if they don't square the series here, it might be even more difficult in Mumbai as the pitch there would be more suited to the Aussies. India's main trouble is in the batting department. Sehwag got some runs in the last game, but the other batsmen are really struggling to make any impact. The experiment of opening with Yuvraj didn't quite work at Chennai. So it would be interesting to see Ganguly's tactics in Nagpur as to who opens with Sehwag.

Gavaskar's comment on Ganguly's form being affected by his captaincy worries especially the batting holds quite true. He's always been under pressure when captaining, like any other Indian captain, especially in Tests where his batting average has slipped from 50 to 41 ever since taking on this difficult job. It's good for the skipper to have someone like Gavaskar as the Consultant to help the team out. But in the end, Ganguly and co will have to go out there and perform themselves. It's also a great opportunity for the captain to lead from the front and come up with a big knock just like he did in Brisbane earlier this year. Even though Tendulkar is back in the side, one is not sure how he will perform after such a long break from the game.

If the batting woes aren't enough, India was dealt with another big blow when the overworked Irfan Pathan was ruled out of the remaining two Tests with a side strain. Of all the seamers used, only Pathan has looked a bit threatening. India will dearly miss him as he is currently India's no. medium pacer. The more experienced guys are struggling to match him. Zaheer is still not back to his best post his injury while Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar are constantly in and out of the side.

In the spin department, India certainly holds an advantage with two great spinners Harbhajan and Kumble in their ranks. Australia, on the other hand, have only one genuine spinner in the legendary Warne with support from part-timers like Katich, Clarke and Lehman. Looking at Warne's success, one feels Australia missed a trick by not including Stuart Macgill in their squad.
 

Apart from having only one genuine spinner, Australia have a few other problems too. Darren Lehman, considered as the best player of spin, has struggled to make any impression with his batting so far. Another key member of the team Matthew Hayden has got of to starts in every innings but has not been able to capitalise on any of them. If he can fire at Nagpur, Australia will be in with a good chance of conquering the 'Final Frontier'.
 

Slip catching is another area the visitors have really struggled in during this trip. With the likes of Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh not around, the slip cordon is not that safe anymore. Michael Clarke has put down a couple of pretty simple ones and even the ageing fingers of Warne could not hold on to some. The Aussies will have to take their chances on these pitches or it could cost them dearly as Indian batsmen can make full use of their lives on such tracks.
 

Aussie great Glenn McGrath will be playing in his 100th Test. And there could be no better present for him on this occasion than to beat India in their home den for the first time in 35 years. His duel with Sachin will also resume at Nagpur and whoever performs better in the Test will give their respective sides a great chance of clinching the game.
 

All said and done, India are the one who have to make all the positive moves as they have to square the series going into Mumbai. A draw here would mean the series cannot be won by India. And if even if they get the better of Aussies at Mumbai against all odds and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the process, it will be a moral victory for the Aussies. Just like India had when they drew the series Down Under.