"India will be all fired up for the Test series against Australia," Waugh told reporters here, just a day after Michael Vaughan's Englishmen thrashed India by seven wickets in the opening NatWest Challenge one-dayer at Trent Bridge.

India's fortunes have been nosediving since posting a historic Test series triumph in Pakistan in March-April. They lost to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final at Colombo last month and then failed to qualify for the Videocon Cup triangular series final in the Netherlands.

But Waugh, here on a business trip, said India would still be tough to beat at home when they take on Australia in a four-Test series starting next month.

"Australia rate India very highly," said Waugh, the second-highest scorer in Test cricket with 10,927 runs in 168 matches with 32 centuries.

"India have not played enough cricket (after the Pakistan tour). It's just a question of elevating themselves which they do against tough opposition. It'll be a tough Test series."

Waugh was at the receiving end when he led a strong Australian side in India three years ago, losing a three-Test series 2-1 after comfortably winning the opening match here.

"The 2001 series was perhaps the best ever I have played in. I also have great memories of my first visit in 1986 and then in 1987 when we won the World Cup," he said.

Waugh, 39, also said he was against excessive use of umpiring technology, to be used on an experimental basis in this month's Champions Trophy in England.

"Cricket will lose something with the use of more and more technology," he said.

"You don't want it to be too Americanised with more and more time-outs. You don't want so many stoppages which would affect the flow and momentum of the game."

Australian Ricky Ponting and Zimbabwean Tatenda Taibu were the only captains who disagreed with the principle of more technology for umpires in a survey conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"I agree with them (Ponting and Taibu)," said Waugh.

The ICC recently said in a statement that the search for improved decision-making would see standing umpires wired-up to TV stump microphone technology and third umpires calling no-balls during the Champions Trophy.