India keen to back in business

First Test at Motera • SL look to overcome Indian Jinx • Dravid, Laxman add solidarity to middle order
AHMEDABAD, Nov 15: India will look to put behind the disappointment of their One-day drubbing at the hands of Australia and bounce back to winning ways when they take on Sri Lanka in the first match of a three-Test series starting on Monday.

For this to happen, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men would have to switch into the Test mode from the more frenetic One-day frame of mind when they go into the first Test at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Motera.

The Indian team has had a non-stop dish of limited-over cricket, 50-over and Twenty20, over the last six months and played their last Test series against New Zealand in March-April early this year.

The Indian middle order has been bolstered by the return of Test specialists Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who were not part of the squad that lost to Australia after squandering a 2-1 lead by losing the next three matches in-a-row.

Both Dravid and Laxman, especially the former, are coming into the match on the back of some good displays in the Ranji Trophy and would be eager to hit the straps.