VVS Laxman believes India must post big first innings totals to beat Australia in the forthcoming Test series.
Batsman relishing challenge ahead
India must post big first innings totals to beat Australia in the forthcoming Border-Gavakasr Test series.
That is the view of Indian batsman VVS Laxman, who is relishing the opportunity of taking on the number one ranked team on home soil.
The first Test of the four match series - which is being screened live on
Sky Sports - gets underway at Bangalore on October 9, and Laxman, one of India's famed but ageing middle-order, believes his team must be at their best to win.
He told
CNN-IBN: "We have played a lot of Test matches against many teams, but playing against Australia always went down to the wire although some of the results don't always reflect the intensity of the games.
Opportunities
"It's very important to grab opportunities when they come. With other teams you could always get back into the game, but not against the Australians.
"In the past, the Australians have always been under pressure every time we batted well, especially in the first innings.
"Getting runs on the board would be crucial as we are playing in India.
"I think we have top-class spinners who can exploit the conditions later in the game."
Laxman has a batting average of 50.63 from 20 matches against the Australians and hopes to do as well this time to help his team win.
Situation
"I've always done well against the Australians, but it also depends on the situation when I'm going into bat," he added.
"I could play an innings like I did in the Sydney Test where I batted at number three and went after the bowling. I got a quick hundred (109 off 142 deliveries) in that innings.
"Or, I could play an innings like I did at Perth where I batted with the tail-enders and got 79 which was very useful in the context of the game.
"So it really depends on what situation I'm going into bat.
"I would like to play an innings that would help the team win."
