Unperturbed at being identified by Indian skipper Anil Kumble as a weak link in the Australian team, spinner Brad Hogg is confident of his success in the Test series.
Hogg hopes Melbourne's drop-in pitch will help earn him a Test recall after a four-year absence. The condition of the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface will be crucial for selectors as they decide between four fast men or pick three quicks and Hogg.
"You have got to go in with a bit of confidence. It's great to get an opportunity against the best players of spin," Hogg was quoted as saying in The Australian.
"I liked it as a spin bowler," Hogg said of the ground in the Australian.
"It's always in your favour having a good performance there under your belt."
The 36-year-old Hogg, who last played a Test against Zimbabwe in 2003, believes he is far better equipped to succeed in Test cricket now.
"I have always wanted to be in a rush. It's like being out in the middle; I am trying to get wickets all the time. But at Test level you've got to work on it. You've got to starve the batsman and then set him up. You've got to make sure you bowl in tandem with the bloke up the other end, and that will be my job if I am in," he said.
"Being able to play a couple of Test matches has been sensational in my career but to be able to represent Australia in a Boxing Day Test match, even if I am 12th man, it just makes me ecstatic. It's just great to be able to achieve something that you've always wanted as a child," he said.
