Aussies aim to extend winning run

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australia will be warm favorites to extend their winning run to 15 when they face India in the opening Test of the four-match series which starts at the magnificent setting of the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.

The world's number one rated side have an enviable record at the MCG and last year thrashed England by an innings and 99 runs on the way to regaining The Ashes.

India, who are coming off a series victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, will be hampered by the lack of match preparation with the warm-up match against Victoria ruined by rain.

But they have a formidable and experienced batting line-up with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman, scoring 32,610 runs from a total of 442 Tests and with 87 centuries between them.

Ganguly, top-scorer in this month's series against Pakistan with 534 runs in three matches, will make his 100th Test appearance in Melbourne.

Australia are just two wins from equaling their run of 16 under former skipper Steve Waugh from October 1999 to February 2001.

Australia face a selection headache as they choose between pacemen Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait for the final spot, assuming that wrist spinner Brad Hogg gets the nod in the company of three fast bowlers.

A crowd of about 75,000 is expected to cram into the MCG for the opening day, short of the 89,155 Ashes sell-out against England.

Meanwhile, England have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their drawn Test against Sri Lanka that finished on Sunday.

The International Cricket Council said confirmed the fines were imposed by match referee Jeff Crowe after England were ruled to be four overs short of their target in the third and final Test of the series.

Under ICC rules, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. The captain is fined double that amount.

England captain Michael Vaughan was fined 40 per cent of his match fee, and the rest of his team were fined 20 per cent. Sri Lanka won the series 1-0. E-mail to a friend