New Delhi, Dec 08: Days after predicting ''chin music'' for India captain Sourav Ganguly and his men, the Aussie media put together an act of obeisance to the prince of Kolkata as he hit a ''ton of heart'' to breathe new life into the first Test at the Gabba, Brisbane. ''Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman have made a statement about themselves and their team. India does not intend to lie down,'' said the age, a leading daily printed from Melbourne.

It went on to add that the skipper ''must take pride of place because his innings revealed uncommon strength of character.''

The Aussie media, which is known to help their team get the psychological edge over visiting sides through tough writeups leading up to the matches, today admitted that the fifth wicket partnership was so impressive that ''within a session, talk had turned to the inadequacy of the Australian attack.'' ''Coming into the match with a modest record against the Australians ... Ganguly was determined to prove he was a player of substance and his team a group of men with new-found resolve to overcome their dreadful away record,'' the paper added.

More praise was heaped on the Indian captain with the Aussie media stating that ''Ganguly has an elegance that suggests a man at ease with himself.

Bureau Report