Pressure key to Kirsten

Gary Kirsten knows India need to stay calm against Australia © Getty Images

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India coach Gary Kirsten reckons that the team which handles the pressure best will emerge winners of the upcoming four-Test Border-Gavaskar series.

The previous series between the two sides was engulfed in controversy and acrimony with India even threatening to pull out at one stage.

Skippers Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting have both promised to focus on the game and Kirsten said the Australians would pose a significant challenge.

"A lot of the time, it's going to boil down to what happens in a pressure situation," he said.

"Who is going to be calmest in that situation, who's going to back himself and believe in himself.

"I think that is what it's going to boil down to.

"We know that Australians will be well-prepared and they would have done all the homework."

The South African does not want to read too much into Australia's dismal performance over the first two days of their only warm-up game, currently going on in Hyderabad.

"I'm certainly not looking at that game too closely because I know it will be a different Australian team that will walk in and play Test cricket.

"We are instead concentrating on our own processes."

Kirsten believes that spin will play a significant part in his side's strategy.

"We have two very experienced spinners in the side and that is something which will certainly work in our favour.

"But I think this Indian team has enough talent to win in any conditions," he concluded.