Good to see Perth back to old self
Cricket 
/ Chris Cairns / 12 January 2012 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
Shaun Marsh’s home ground and it’s his turn
Chris Cairns feels India got it wrong in Sydney from the outset, and wonders if the crushing loss in Sydney will test the Indian's resolve in Perth.
Brad Haddin has had a chip at the frailty of the Indian team at the pre-Test press conference, and while he is probably correct it is a dangerous thing to be firing verbal salvos mid-way through a series and especially when your own performance is somewhat below par.
It does spice up the series and I look forward to the Zaheer - Haddin battle.
Having seen a bit of cricket at the WACA this summer, this pitch is going to be quick. There is talk of grass on the pitch but it will burn off quickly and what will remain is the pace and bounce. This will not be for the faint-hearted.
Australia will play all four quicks and it's a tactic India must follow. A spinner will be surplus to requirements for both sides and Lyons and Ashwin have had poor returns this series to date.
As to the result, I can only seeing it going one way.
The only question will be how many days will it take. I think it could be three, maximum four. Perhaps there's an argument to counter this result considering India won the last Test at this venue in 2008, but like Sydney, the pitch is very different this time round and I cannot see the Indian batsmen countering this upcoming assault from the Australian quickies.
So, in these conditions, who can perform?
If we look at the batting I have been very impressed with the way Tendulkar has batted, he is pure class. He has not had much luck but has still scored consistently, and of this current top-six the only one equipped to deal with this pace fuelled monster. Sehwag has the capacity to wrestle initiative away as he did in 2008, but I feel his batting is currently akin to driving a car at breakneck speed on ice, at some stage inevitability has to strike.
In the Aussie camp Hussey will be a considered bet as top scorer but don't discount Shaun Marsh. It's his home ground and I feel it's his turn.
Bowling wise Ishant may get carried away with the bounce and bowl too short, so Zaheer is still front runner on the Indian side of things. Siddle will be tough to play but keep an eye out for Mitchell Starc. He can swing the ball at pace and is going to be a handful at this ground.
