Cricket: Aussies out to spoil Tendulkar's 100 party

India's Sachin Tendulkar on the drive during the first test against Australia in Melbourne....
India's Sachin Tendulkar on the drive during the first test against Australia in Melbourne. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne
For all those hoping Indian great Sachin Tendulkar can achieve his 100th international hundred during the Sydney test this week, the Australian cricket team is only too happy for him to wait a bit longer.

Many feel Tendulkar, who averages 221.33 runs after seven test innings at the venue, is destined to achieve the milestone in the historic 100th test match at the SCG starting tomorrow.

While such would seem fitting for Tendulkar, with the support of many Australian fans as Indians, that's not the view in the Australian dressing room.

"I can assure you that everyone in our dressing room does not want him to make a hundred," veteran batsman Mike Hussey told reporters on Sunday.

"I am a bit nervous because the stars seem to be aligning with Sachin needing one more hundred. (It's) the 100th test match in Sydney, he's made runs here before.

"It's a little bit ominous but hopefully we can make him wait until after this series and he can get a hundred in the first game of the next series that he plays."

Rohit Sharma, who could make his test debut if he gets the nod ahead of middle-order batsman Virat Kohli, says Tendulkar's personal milestone isn't affecting him or his team-mates.

"Not at all and I'm sure he's also not thinking of that," Sharma said.

"As we know, Sydney is his lucky ground so hopefully it happens here."

The last time Australia hosted India at the SCG was in 2008, with relations between the teams reaching an all-time low in the aftermath of the fiery affair.

Michael Clarke's three wickets in the final overs of the fifth day delivered the Australians a world-record-equalling 16th consecutive test win, but allegations Andrew Symonds had been racially abused by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh overshadowed the match.

"That was a long time ago and the personalities and teams have changed quite a lot, particularly in our team," Hussey said.

"That's gone, that's in the past. I think the players that were involved in all the controversies have moved on, even played together."

Despite having his place in the team questioned at times during 2011, Hussey ended the year as Australia's top test scorer with 680 runs at 42.50.

And the 36-year-old felt the tide was turning for Australia after a tough 12 months.

"I look back on it with a lot of mixed feelings really because as a team we haven't had a lot of success," Hussey said of his year.

"We lost the Ashes and that was very, very disappointing for us. We didn't get as far in the World Cup as we would have liked. There's been a lot of change around our team and a lot of uncertainty.

"It's certainly been an interesting time around the team but I think we've really re-focused now ... I really feel like we are going in the right direction."

The major decision for Australia going into the SCG test is whether to retain spinner Nathan Lyon or call up Ryan Harris to join James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle in a four-man pace attack.

After his first look at the SCG pitch, Hussey suggested retaining Lyon may well be the sensible option.

"It looks definitely a lighter colour and generally that's the way it's gone over here, it has slowed down a little bit and helped the spinners as the game's gone on," he said.

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