Warm-up blip 'doesn't mean anything'

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara says their warm-up match in Sydney gave the team "what we wanted" and dismissed concerns over their bowling talent after their relatively inexperienced opposition ran up a large score. 

The Cricket Australia XI had little in the way of international experience – with only opener D'Arcy Short having represented Australia from that side – but plenty of enthusiasm as they racked up 514 in their only innings against the visitors at the SCG. 

India fielded 16 players across the match which didn't have first-class status, and they had an extended stay in the field as the CA XI batted for 151.1 overs across two days. 

"We got what we wanted in the practice game and the trainer and the physio has been monitoring the workload," Pujara told reporters on Monday.

"We thought that it was best to take a break today and train for the next two days and be fresh for the Test match."

Only spinner Ravi Ashwin and batsman Rohit Sharma trained in the Adelaide Oval nets on Monday, while the rest of the squad enjoyed a day to put their feet up before the first Domain Test starts on Thursday.

South Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Harry Nielsen scored a century, WA allrounder Aaron Hardie added 86 to his first-innings five-wicket haul, while openers Short and Max Bryant both scored half-centuries. 

The CA XI's final three wickets put on 131, and India captain Virat Kohli brought himself on to bowl his part-time mediums for seven overs to give his front-line attack a break. 

Kohli claimed a rare wicket after Nielsen got a top edge trying to smash a long-hop out of the stadium after he reached triple figures, but it wasn't until after lunch on the match's third day.

After the final wicket pair had added 57, India drafted in fresh bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, with Bumrah taking just seven balls to end the innings. 

"Conceding 500 runs in a warm-up game doesn't mean anything ... we are not very much worried about it," Pujara said.

"Our bowlers know what they have to do ... they know what line and lengths to bowl in Australia.

"We utilised all three days (in Sydney) properly. We also had some net practice while the game was going on so I don't think it was a concern at all.

"We got enough practice and we did what we wanted."

India have never won a Test series in Australia, from 11 previous attempts, and Pujara said the prospect of a breakthrough triumph was motivating.

"Being the number one Test team, we always look to win each and every series and this is no different," he said.

"We definitely want to win the series, but one Test match at a time.

"In India we have been doing really well but whenever we travel overseas there is always an extra motivation to do well.

"And we have been playing good cricket outside of India now and this is a very good opportunity for the team to perform well."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: First Test, Adelaide Oval

Dec 14-18: Second Test, Perth Stadium

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar