India may have been outplayed by Australia in the second One-Day International in Kochi, but the team is fully prepared and confident of bouncing back, said vice-captain Yuvraj Singh, on the eve of the third meeting in the seven-match series.
"In Kochi, things didn't go our way. They planned their game really well and executed it very well. It's a new day [tomorrow] and a new game and we are fully prepared for it. Hopefully, we will do well," Yuvraj said in Hyderabad on Thursday.
India will be boosted by the availability of Sourav Ganguly, who was rested for the last match to recover from a hamstring injury. But a major worry for the hosts is that world champions Australia will be at full strength with the return of captain Ricky Ponting and pacer Nathan Bracken.
Ponting's worth to the team is immense, not just as captain but also as a batsman who delivers when it matters most.
Adam Gilchrist put it aptly in Kochi when he said, 'When we lost Ponting, we lost the best batsman in the world.'
However, the focus in Friday's third ODI will be on the on-field behaviour of both teams.
International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad cautioned both captains after tempers reached boiling point in Kochi as S Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh got engaged in a war of words with some Australian players, including Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke.
"The match referee brought both captains in individually, both me and Adam Gilchrist after [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni. He made us know there were a few things he wasn't that pleased with and that it was up to the captains to make sure it didn't continue through the series," Ponting said.
Australia's captain also came down hard on Harbhajan Singh, who told an Australian newspaper that the Australian players abused him during the Kochi one-dayer.
"I really don't care, to tell the truth. He has got plenty to say on the field and whenever someone says something back to him he is the first one to run away from it.
"They are the ones who have come out and made all the statements since we've been here; this new India and the new aggressive outlook, the way they are going to play," Ponting said.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj said Sreesanth has been told to control himself.
"Sreesant is aggressive and everyone knows he needs to control himself. We have spoken to him on it. In the last game there was a bit too much from both the teams. I hope in the next game we play more of cricket than more of talking," the left-hander said.
The Indian team had a net session this morning and Yuvraj said the wicket looks good for batting.
Only one match was played at the venue, still undergoing heavy renovation. In that match, in November 2005, Yuvraj scored 103, but India went down to South Africa by five wickets.
Ganguly's return means Gautam Gambhir will miss out. Thus, India will field two of its most experienced batsmen -- Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly at the top of the order. However, if they decide to play that extra batsmen, Ramesh Powar could face the axe.
Harbhajan will also be keen to prove himself after an ordinary outing in Kochi in his comeback match to the Indian ODI squad.
India are hoping their top batsmen strike form, as the team plays its best cricket when the batting is in top gear.
