New Delhi: If statistics and experience alone won cricket matches, world champions Australia would be regarded as no-hopers in the Test series against India starting on Thursday.

At least 12 in the 15-man touring squad have a combined tally of only 130 Tests between them, the same number that India captain Anil Kumble has played and 20 fewer than batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.

Captain Ricky Ponting, veteran opener Matthew Hayden, and middle-order batsmen Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have experienced a Test match atmosphere in India before.

And the spin options are bare following the retirements of the legendary Shane Warne and his understudy Stuart MacGill, with no one to exploit wickets that traditionally favour slow bowlers.

On paper, the series would appear a cakewalk for the Indians.

In real terms, however, it leaves an enthralling contest on offer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between two evenly-matched teams.

"This is the best chance for us to pull it off," said Kumble, determined to overturn the 2-1 defeat at home in 2004 and an identical loss Down Under earlier this year.

"We want to win this one badly. Good for us that the Aussies consider themselves the underdogs. We have to exploit their relative inexperience in our own conditions."

The tussle between India's battle-hardened batting veterans and Australia's pace firepower will provide the backdrop for one of the most eagerly-awaited four-Test series in recent times.

Tendulkar, 35, who needs only 77 more runs to overtake Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading scorer, heads the charge of the senior brigade that includes Rahul Dravid, 35, Sourav Ganguly, 36, and Venkatsai Laxman, 33.

Bangalore: Sourav Ganguly has announced his retirement from the game, the former India captain said on Tuesday.

Ganguly said he would be retiring from the game at the end of the India-Australia Test series, which begins in Bangalore on Thursday.

After being controversially included for the four-Test series, Ganguly revealed that even he was surprised at his inclusion, but added that the stress forced him to take a decision on his career.

"I have decided to quit. This will be my last Test series," Ganguly told reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday.

"I have informed my team of my decision. I hope I'll end my career with a winning knock," added the 36-year-old.

Ganguly, who has played 109 Test matches in a career spanning over 12 years, made a stunning entry to Test cricket with a century on debut at Lord's in 1996. He followed it up with another century at Trent Bridge in the next Test match.

However, India's most successful Test captain fell out of favour with the BCCI's recent policy of blooding young talent to build for the future.

"To be honest I didn't expect to be picked for this series. But then I didn't expect to be dropped for the Irani Trophy," Ganguly said.

"It has been unfortunate that there is focus on me. I have learned to live with it. When I can't I will go." Ganguly followed it up by saying he will be quitting the game.

Ganguly has also been one of the most successful one-day batsmen of all time, amassing 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02 in 311 matches.

The former India captain, who took over from Mohammad Azharuddin following the match-fixing scandal in 2000, helped India reach the World Cup final in 2003.