Even as the young India and Australia turks got ready for an explosive contest of Twenty20 at the MCG on Friday, two players who can make a significant difference despite being on the wrong side of their 30s are still to make a decision on whether they will play.

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is nursing a sore back and keeping his fingers crossed till the start of the much-awaited game here, while master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is yet to take a call on making the Indian XI. Tendulkar has no fitness worries, but may still not walk out at the MCG on Friday.

There's a school of thought in the Indian team that Tendulkar should be saved for the more important matches of the tri-series while some are keen on him to play to lend the side the much-needed balance.

Tendulkar himself appeared hungry as he spent almost an hour batting against a bowling machine at the MCG in the morning. Coach Gary Kirsten advised Sachin on his off-side strokeplay and later fed balls to the bowling machine as the little champion batted with all seriousness, sweating hard.

The unavailability of Yuvraj Singh has come as a big setback, as skipper MS Dhoni himself said. "Yuvraj has been our master batsman and his absence is a setback for us." Dhoni also talked about creating a balance and playing with pluck and hoping for luck. "You have to create balance in the team and I am the guy who doesn't believe in the laurels of the past."

Then again, Dhoni wasn't forthcoming on Tendulkar. "We have a team meeting tomorrow (Friday). We will decide on the composition only before the game," he said.

Australian captain Ponting, on the other hand, was more than keen to make the side.

The court room battles over, it's time to slug it out in the middle once again.

As both India and Australia resume their cricketing hostilities in the Twenty20 match on Friday, it's hard to comprehend that the fallout of the alleged racism episode won't be felt at the imposing MCG, that might well resemble a bullring on Friday evening.

The Indians are obviously feeling elated at the verdict while the Aussies have openly expressed disappointment that Harbhajan Singh got away coolly and without even bothering to say 'sorry' to Symonds.

MELBOURNE, January 30: It's been a tour of nerves and a few moments of truth for Mahendra Singh Dhoni so far. He has improved his work behind the stumps that is sure but the trouble in Twenty20 and One-day captain has not been so successful with the bat. Arriving with his young and dynamic world champion T20 team in Melbourne, the 26-year-old Ranchi man wasted no time in spelling out his plans for the Twenty20 game against Australia on Friday, and the triangular series (also involving Sri Lanka) thereafter.

In an exclusive interview to TOI , Dhoni delivered a terafic warning to the Aussies. "They have played with my patience," he said while explaining his uncharacteristically defensive play during the four-Test series. He also stressed that things may soon change as he would be back to his natural self as a batsman. Excerpts from the interview:

Now that the Tests are over, is it time for the team to return to its attacking best in T20 and ODIs?
As we all know, One-dayers are a different ball game. The conditions will be very different and our team is also very different. We have a new set of bowlers who haven't yet got a feel of the conditions here. Even RP (Singh) is going back. It would be important to see how the youngsters react to this challenge. For me, it's about setting new bench marks, about showing the same aggression. We will try and follow what we did during the series against Australia back home and also in the T20 World Cup.

Is Yuvraj's fitness a major worry?
He is trying to recover and we all and the support staff are helping him get there as soon as possible. Hopefully he should be fine for the second One-day match.

You also have Tendulkar this time, making his T20 debut under you?
That would be interesting but let's see how it goes. We are playing on the day after and we have two practice sessions before that. It is also important that the new players get into the groove for the series ahead. it will create an exzorbing cricket rest of the series.

Sree Santh has returned and so have the youngsters. Given the fresh legs don't you think India have an edge?
Overall, if you see we have youngsters and definitely you expect a lot from them. At times they can come up with things that can surprise you and we are banking on that. And we also have a fair bit of experience, so we are not a totally inexperienced side. We are looking at (playing) some good cricket in the next one month.

There's Ishant Sharma too...
Surely. But we have to be careful with our fast bowlers. Eight months back we thought we had ample fast bowlers but just six months down the line we were struggling on that count. We need to look at the number of matches each pacer plays. It's important we keep rotating them given the number of Tests we are playing. he is definately a future of indian team reason is he is improving day by day and also carry on his pace continusely.

Given the Harbhajan Singh controversy, you think the Aussies will come hard at him?
The Aussies always play their game the hard way but I don't think they will be coming hard at Bhajji. Also the controversy is well and truly over now and I'm so glad about it. To me the issue from the start was more an off-the-field thing and it needed to be sorted out.

You think Robin Uthappa would still be able to walk and whack the Aussie bowlers?
It's tough to walk and hit here but if he thinks he can still continue doing it then good. It's his strength and we will not stop him from doing that.

India has defeated Australia twice in Twenty20, first in the World Cup and later in Mumbai. Don't you think a win at the MCG would be the perfect start for the series?
I hope that happens. Then again it's all about how you play and how you give a start to the series. We would surely want to do that but it doesn't mean that it will be a cakewalk. Let's see how things go. I am not a person who predicts too much. I just go by the day's play. We shall see.

The latest from australian cricket
the tait has declared a retierment from the test cricket it will be considered as a strange desision from a australian crcketer.

The power of indian cricket
the controversy about the harbhajansingh has finally come to an end with full of justice. he has declared innocent the whole indian cricket lovers are zid up along with the indian cricket team the tri series between india -australia - srilanka will might be a fabulous contest.
the worry for indian cricket team is a dazzeling looking yuvrajsingh and r.p.singh might not play because of an injury.
manoj tiwari will going to australia.along with munaf patel.

Adam Gilchrist has announced his retierment from the test cricket and he will be retire from the odi after finishing tringular series between aus- india- srilanka

the pitch of adelaide is called shifting mozaik

India vs australia
the last test between india vs australia has been ended with a draw it means that australia has won the series 2-1

lots of positives from this test series
some exciting live cricket
some unexplanable live cricket
some unforgotable moments
some positive moment
some controversy moment

australia did not lose a test match in australia except india in last few year
the last test match was drawn in ten years ago against south-africa in 1998.
india has shown that they deserve in test ranking at number two place.
india has found a young ishant sharma even a adam gilchrist and curently number one bastman in the world has admited that the spell in sydeny was a spell of the series.
brett lee is the man of the series
sachin tendulkar is the player of the match
v. shehwag has played incredible innings on the last day of a test match.
he has score 9 consequtives 150+. that innings of 151 was quite phinominal.