Australia's cricket team will be aiming to complete a 4-0 clean sweep of its series against India when the final Test starts in Adelaide today.
Captain Michael Clarke said his side does not see the match as being a dead rubber.
"Our preparation has been the same as the first three Test matches. We flew into Adelaide a day early to make sure we had enough time for training," he said.
"Our focus is exactly the same, we want to continue to play some really good positive cricket and we know these conditions are probably going to suit India a lot more than where we've just come from in Perth.
"So we're going to have to be at our best to beat them, that's for sure."
Clarke also said there was no need to rest players from today's match.
There had been speculation Peter Siddle or Ben Hilfenhaus could be rested for the final match, but Clarke said the players were feeling fresh after their quick wins in the past two Tests.
"In my opinion it was about picking the best 11 players to win the Test," he said.
"I've said that from the start that we want to win every Test match we play and this series is no different, so I guess winning the last two Test matches in less than five days has helped everyone recover so all the boys are fighting fit and ready to go."
Spinner Nathan Lyon has been recalled at the expense of paceman Mitchell Starc, who has been named 12th man, but Clarke has played down expectations the offspinner will be Australia's trump card.
The skipper is expecting the pitch to offer some variable bounce late in the five-day match, but he said this could play into the hands of his quicks.
"I definitely have a lot of confidence in 'Lyno'," Clarke said.
"I would hate to put that sort of expectation on him, because it spins doesn't guarantee you're going to take wickets as well."
Lyon's personal haul of 2 for 180 in two Tests against India has been underwhelming compared to his success in Sri Lanka and South Africa last year and his 10 wickets at 12.60 against New Zealand.
"Throughout this series we have seen a lot more grass on the wicket so the quicks have played a bigger part," Clarke said.
"But I think day four and five out here, especially day five, I think the ball might go up and down a little bit so I think the quicks will still play a big part there.
"Nathan knows these conditions as good as anyone. He has played enough cricket here and I think he'll play an important role here in helping us trying to win this Test match."
Clarke said the expected hot conditions should favour reverse swing, with Hilfenhaus to play a key role.
"And that is why I say it's probably as close to Indian conditions as you're going to get in Australia, so as a batting unit we have been working on that in the nets," he said, aware that India left-armer Zaheer Khan is a master of the reverse-swing.
"We have faced a bit of reverse swing and a fair bit of spin, so I think our preparation has been spot on."
India named a 12-man squad including two spinners, Ravi Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha.
Pace bowler Vinay Kumar has been dropped while wicketkeeper and skipper MS Dhoni is suspended because of the slow over rate in Perth.
One-Test player Wriddhiman Saha replaces Dhoni while vice-captain Virender Sehwag will captain the side for the fourth time in his 96-Test career.
ABC/AAP
Tags: cricket, sport, australia, sa, adelaide-5000, india First posted January 24, 2012 08:27:20
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