Experienced Ishant offers helping hand

Ishant Sharma says containment with the old ball will be just as important as wickets with the new one for India this summer as they seek their first-ever Test series victory in Australia.

Ishant announced himself on India's tour of Australia in 2007-08 as a 19-year-old, dismissing Ricky Ponting in a memorable spell in the third Test at the WACA Ground.

India won that Test, but were whitewashed 4-0 when they toured again in 2011-12, with Ishant finishing the series with five wickets from four Tests at an average of 90.20.

Australia's victory that summer came despite several top-order collapses; they were reduced to 4-27 in Melbourne, 3-37 in Sydney and 3-40 in Adelaide.

But a dominant middle order of Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey feasted on India's bowlers once the shine came off the new ball.

The trio combined for 1463 runs including two centuries, two double centuries and a memorable innings of 329 not out from Clarke in the second Test at the SCG.

The bad memories from three summers ago have not been forgotten by Ishant, who this summer will lead a pace attack that features Varun Aaron, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav.

"I think the old ball is going to be very crucial for us," he said.

"That's the time you can go for runs.

"It's really difficult for the bowlers to stick to your basics when you are getting tired (and) when your mind is drifting from one side to the other.

"So how you can control all these things is really important."

Ishant was one of six Indian players to front the media in Adelaide yesterday, joining openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan and middle-order batsmen Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara for a press conference ahead of the first Commonwealth Bank Test, starting on Tuesday.

It was confirmed that injured skipper MS Dhoni arrived in Australia yesterday and will train in the Adelaide Oval nets tomorrow as he seeks to recover from a thumb injury.

Dhoni had been ruled out of the now rescheduled first Test at the Gabba, which was delayed following the passing of Phillip Hughes last week.

The new schedule means Dhoni has an extra five days to get himself right for the first Test, with Virat Kohli to step in as skipper should the wicketkeeper-batsman fail to prove his fitness.

Kohli was part of a strong Indian contingent at Hughes's funeral in Macksville on Wednesday, with the group making the long journey from Adelaide via Sydney and Coffs Harbour to pay their respects.

Ishant expressed his sympathy to Hughes's family, who passed away after being struck by a bouncer at the SCG almost two weeks ago.

Despite the circumstances surrounding Hughes's death, the lanky quick is expecting short-pitched bowling to play a role during the upcoming series.

Ishant used the short ball to great effect at Lord's earlier this year, when he had five England batsmen caught on the leg-side in the second innings as India stormed to a famous Test victory at the home of cricket.

But the 26-year-old says he plans to use the short ball in moderation this summer, wary of falling into the trap that has undone many a touring fast bowler in Australia.

And having already played seven Tests in Australia, he's ready to pass on his knowledge to his four fast-bowling teammates, three of whom are yet to play a Test Down Under.

"What has happened is really sad and everyone was really shocked when we (heard the news)," Ishant said of Hughes.

"But we are professional cricketers, we need to look forward to what's coming next and that's what we'll do.

"You have certain plans against every batsman and you're not going to straight away think 'he's not good at (handling) the bouncers so I will give him one'.

"You need to make a plan, put your field according to your plan and bowl according to your plan.

"Obviously in Australia and South Africa ... your line should be on a fourth stump or the off stump, it shouldn't be on the middle stump.

"These are the things you share with your fast-bowlers.

"I don't see myself as a role model.

"What I need to do, first of all, is focus on my bowling and whatever past experience I've had in Australia or wherever I've played I'll share with my teammates."