Oz ready to upstage India in Melbourne

Melbourne, Jan 31 (UNI) Australia captain Ricky Ponting has claimed that this time his side is better prepared to take on India in the one-off Twenty20 tie that starts tomorrow and added his boys will not be caught off-guard this time.

He said with the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket, Australia have realised that it's time to take the shortest version of the seriously and they will look to break India's unbeaten record against them.

''Four or five months ago it probably wasn't taken as seriously as it is at the moment. After the World Twenty20, when we all realised the popularity of the game, we have started to take more notice of it,'' Ponting said.

''And with that I think everyone's had a bit more of a chance to play some more Twenty20 cricket,'' he added.

''We won't be caught off guard at all. We'll be out there going absolutely flat out to try and win the game and try and win the game as well as we possibly can.'' Ponting has sustained a back problem but the Tasmanian hopes to get fit for tomorrow's match at the MCG which is set to attract a crowd of over 90,000.

''Right at the moment I'm feeling okay but I haven't done anything to test it out just yet. Hopefully I can get a hit in this afternoon but there'll be plenty of time to get a hit in tomorrow,'' he added.

India will take on field without their Twenty20 World Cup star Yuvraj Singh who is nursing a knee injury.

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