Stand-in Australian captain Adam Gilchrist feels regardless of the outcome of the VB tri-series, India could return home with their heads high from the present tour of Australia.
"They deserve to be confident and happy. Regardless of how this series finishes, they would leave here pleased and so they should be," Gilchrist remarked ahead of Sunday's match against India at Perth.
The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman will lead Australia in the absence of regular captain Ricky Ponting who has been rested for the last two matches of the league stage.
"They (India) look like a team who believe in themselves. That's the major characteristic of all successful teams."
Gilchrist though feels the success of Indians does not mean he has struggled against the tourists in the VB tri-series or in the preceding Test series.
"I got a start in two games and then there was that 95 in Sydney. I wouldn't like to think I am struggling against them.
"But what they have proved on this tour is that they have got some quality young bowlers. Anil Kumble has done well on this tour where previously he hasn't done so well abroad.
"Ajit (Agarkar) has done wonderfully well. Nehra and Pathan, all have bowled well. Their bowling line-up has proven it has a lot more fight than it had before."
Gilchrist could not have forgotten mentioning the Indian batters who have made this truly an Indian summer.
"It has been an issue all this summer how to counter their top order. We are not as much disappointed about the end result as we are not executing our plans well.
"We execute them well in patches but not doing what we are setting out for."
Gilchrist supported Damien Martyn but wanted his early batsmen to lay more solid foundation for the middle order to prosper in remaining matches.
"Martyn, the way he has been batting, makes it look as his form has never left him.
"The way he is going about his work ethics, he is terrific. But surely he has had a lot of intense focus and nobody likes it.
"But our top order probably has not laid solid foundations for the middle order to launch into attack in general throughout the series."
Gilchrist confirmed Western Australian Mike Hussey would make his international debut tomorrow and Simon Katich will get another opportunity despite having only two runs from his two one-day internationals.
"Both Hussey and Katich are playing. As for bowlers, fast bowlers are looking forward to bowling at WACA.
Any bowler who comes here gets a little bit more excited than any other ground in the world."
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