HAYDEN V PATHAN

Australia will look to the formidable Hayden for a good start, while India will seek early wickets from the young left-arm seamer Pathan. The aggressive Hayden returns to the land of his resurrection where in 2001, hoping to cement his place in the world-beating side, he became indispensable after scoring 549 runs in three Tests.

India will rely on Pathan to get Hayden early. The 19-year-old has made rapid strides in international cricket since his Test debut in Australia last season. Voted the emerging player of the year at the International Cricket Council's awards last month, Pathan is a key strike bowler with pace and subtle variations to unsettle the best in the world. He has a knack of providing early breaks.

MCGRATH V DRAVID

Rahul Dravid has been in such tremendous form over the last two years that he is feared more by rivals than even Sachin Tendulkar. With Tendulkar recovering from a tennis elbow injury, Dravid will be the mainstay of the Indian middle order. The "Wall", as Dravid is nicknamed for his sound technique at the crease, was voted both the player and the batsman of the year at the Oscars for his consistency.

Dravid's duel with premier Australian paceman Glenn McGrath will be keenly anticipated. McGrath is renowned for breaching the best of defences with his nagging line and length. The slow Indian pitches may not be to the Australian's liking, but his accuracy and consistency is expected to test the Indian batsmen, including Dravid. McGrath, 34, will be keen to prove that he is still a force to reckon with even in the twilight of his career.

MARTYN V HARBHAJAN

Martyn will be the lynchpin of Australia's middle-order in the first two Tests in the absence of the injured Ricky Ponting. And Australia will be praying that Martyn has a better outing than Ponting, who managed just 17 runs in five innings on the last tour in 2001 -- dismissed each time by wily Harbhajan.

The off-spinner made the difference in India's 2-1 success in that series with a staggering 32 wickets in three matches. Harbhajan is back again to torment the Aussies after being out of action for six months due to finger surgery. He bowled well in the one-day tournaments earlier this season and plans to test the tourists with what he considers a secret "magic" ball.

WARNE V ALL THE INDIAN BATSMEN

The nimble-footed Indian batsmen have proved a nemesis for the champion leg-spinner, who has managed just 20 wickets in six Tests on Indian soil. Warne, six wickets away from surpassing Muttiah Muralitharan's world record of 532, is the key to Australia's success in the series. He is back to his best after serving a 12-month ban for drug use.

Warne runs into what he himself considers the best players of spin bowling in the world. He needs to keep the Indian batsmen in check, especially Venkatsai Laxman, who has scored four of his seven Test centuries against the Australians. Laxman's 281 in the second Test at Calcutta three years ago was crucial in setting up a stunning victory for the hosts. Warne also has the swashbuckling Virender Sehwag and captain Sourav Ganguly to reckon with.