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PERTH - There will be no lack of intensity when Australia and India renew hostilities in the third cricket test at the WACA tomorrow despite their promise to be on their best behaviour.
The two teams agreed to call a truce after the bitter fallout to last week's second match in Sydney but both sides have made it clear they are desperate to win.
The Australians are chasing a world record 17th consecutive test win while India need a victory to keep the series alive after losses in Sydney and Melbourne.
The row over the Sydney match has only added interest to the Perth test. There has been a surge in ticket sales and extra police have been ordered in to beef up crowd security.
"It's an important test match for a number of reasons," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said yesterday.
"First of all, we want to win the test and we want to break a world record. But secondly, it's really important the game is played the right way.
"Anil (Kumble) and I had a really good, open discussion about our responsibilities as captains and leaders and our team's responsibility to the game and one thing that did come out of all of that was that we're happy to leave that behind us."
Kumble, who accused the Australians of bad sportsmanship in Sydney, said his team had also agreed to forget about last week and concentrate on improving their own performances.
"It's important that we come back in this game, play some good cricket and get the right result because we have to keep the series alive," he said
"I'm sure both teams will put up a good game of cricket and people will enjoy the cricket and ensure people remember the cricket. That didn't happen unfortunately in Sydney but we've left that behind."
The build-up to the match has been dominated by a week-long feud that was only resolved when Ponting and Kumble met on Monday to settle their differences.
The Indian cricket board threatened to cancel the rest of the tour after spinner Harbhajan Singh was found guilty of racially abusing Andrew Symonds on the word of the Australian players.
The Indians lodged a counter claim of abusive language against Brad Hogg but dropped the charge and threats to abandon the tour after the International Cricket Council agreed to a range of compromises.
Harbhajan was allowed to continue playing in the series until his appeal is heard after the final test while West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor was sacked for his performance in Sydney.
Although Harbhajan has been cleared to play, India are considering leaving him out and adding a third seamer because of the WACA's reputation of assisting fast bowlers.
The Indians are also expected to reshuffle their batting lineup, recalling dashing opener Virender Sehwag after he scored a century in the tour game in Canberra last weekend.
Kumble said the biggest problem facing the Indians was how they deal with the notoriously bouncy WACA pitch but he was confident they had the players to do it.
"We have the quality and the experience to handle that," he said.
"It might take some time to get used to but it's just an adjustment to the mind rather than in the middle.
"That adjustment has already been made so we're prepared to go out there and do well."
The Australians have signalled their intentions to unleash their fast men on India by recalling express paceman Shaun Tait at the expense of Hogg in one of two changes to the team that won the first two matches.
Opening batsman Chris Rogers will make his test debut after Matthew Hayden was ruled out with a hamstring problem.
- REUTERS
