Setting goals before a series is part of your captaincy style -- so what goals are you aiming for here?
A series win would be nice, thank you -- it's been thirty years since an Australian side managed that, it is something you want to be remembered for, something for this team to work towards.

You are quoted as saying, before leaving Australia, that the 15 Test wins don't really matter unless the team wins this one...
Well, it is not like if we lose here, the 15 Test wins get wiped off the record books. But yes, I was raising the bar on the boys, and my point is, there is no point in sitting on our laurels and saying we have won 15. A team is as good as its last result, so yes, I did say that there is no point in being complacent about what we have won already -- the trick is to focus on what we have to do tomorrow, not what we did yesterday.

Irrespective of the outcome of this series, your side is being labelled one of the greatest of all time. What does this kind of success, these accolades, mean to you? What does it teach you?
To be humble. We've had our tough times, like between 1985-1990 for instance when we were losing pretty regularly. When you have been part of a side like that, when you have played in a losing side, you learn to appreciate the good times, you learn to appreciate the victories and enjoy them more. But since you know what it is like to lose, you also learn how to respect the opponents who lose to you, you learn to remain grounded, to not get too arrogant about your results because you know how quickly these things can change.

And captaincy? You are on record as saying, once, that captaincy didn't really matter to you, that is when Mark Taylor was leading the side...
Right, I said then that captaincy is not everything. It was in response to a question about whether I wanted the captaincy. I still say the same, that captaincy is not everything -- it is not the be all and end all of things. It is great to be part of a winning outfit, irrespective of the role you play in it. That feeling doesn't change, whether you are the captain or no. So what captaincy really means is responsibility, challenge, the urge to create a team that is the best, and then to make sure that it remains the best.

You've been here earlier, under Taylor, when the side lost a three-Test series. What lessons did you take back, which you think will now come in handy?
No real lessons, really -- barring those three Tests, we have mostly played ODIs in India. One thing I did tell the boys is that we are 20 against one billion -- we need to get even tighter as a unit, to draw on each other for strength, because unlike at home, here the crowds won't be cheering for you, they won't be around to lift you. Practical lessons? Well, we did learn to focus on playing it session by session. Last time we were here, if we had a bad session, we never bounced back, we just slumped. We know that is the key to playing here -- if we are going through a bad session, if India is on top, then we have to focus on first minimising the damage, lasting out the session, and then look to bounce back in the next one, we will need to stay focussed on that. Another lesson we learnt, which we will look to use here, is patience -- for the batsmen and bowlers both. Playing in India, we need the grit and the patience to see off the tough periods, things won't go our way all the time and that is when we need to stay calm and patient, wait for the pendulum to swing back our way. Justin Langer's innings in Nagpur is an example -- wasn't a pretty sight, for the first 20, 30 runs, but he gritted it out, held on to his nerve and his patience, and then things began going for him, he started batting well. That is something all of us need to learn from and put into practise.

You said, Steve, that it is 20 Aussies against 1 billion Indians. But in one of your books, in one of the notes you write for your players, you had said, "The Indians have one billion people cheering for them. They are under pressure. Never forget that."
That is true, too. The crowds here are more passionate and demanding than anywhere else, they expect guys like Sachin, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly to get runs, big runs all the time -- and that kind of thing can put those players under the hammer, the pressure can become enormous and that can be a weapon for the opposing side.

You've described your side as better balanced than the last time round. Is that one reason why, unlike last time, there is not much of Tendulkar versus Warne hype now?
Well, mate, they are both performers, both phenomenal talents, Sachin and Warney, both are attacking players so when they face off, the sparks are bound to fly and that makes it exciting for the viewers and that is what they come for, to be entertained. Besides, competitive cricketers like those two will always strike sparks off each other, such players will always be looking to take each other on, neither of them will want to give an inch, that is the nature of the game. But yeah, this time, it is about more than Sachin versus Warne -- there are a few other blokes in our side who might have something to say about the result, and there are a few guys in the Indian side I wouldn't make the mistake of understimating.

Sledging, Steve? Seems to have started already with the verbal volleys you and Saurav Ganguly have been letting fly at each other...?
Let me make one thing clear, this 'war of words' exists only in the media. You guys ask me questions, I am going to answer, and I always answer as honestly as I can. I did say that it was not the done thing, that it was against the ICC code, for captains and coaches to try and influence the kind of pitches that are prepared, and I'll stick to that. Other than that, I am not aware of having said anything that merits the description. Out there on the field, well, we do play hard, we tend to have a go at the other side, but that is how we play our cricket and that won't change.

World Champions, fifteen Test victories -- as captain, how much of the credit for this do you take for yourself?
One hundred per cent! (*laughs*). I look out for the good in people, instead of focusing on their bad points. I believe that I can achieve with what I have. There are times when some players don't believe in themselves, in their ability. I take care of that too. I like to focus my energies on positive things. But eventually it's a team effort, and that shows.

Ever since your groin injury you have stopped bowling. Do you miss bowling?
I do miss bowling a lot, but I'm not done yet mate! I have a few more wickets to take before I hang up my boots. I like to bowl when I want to let out my aggression. But as captain, I have to think a lot, so sometimes I let the others do the job. But, yes I will be bowling a lot in the future.

What is the legacy that you want to leave behind when you are done with the game?
I want to leave Australian cricket in good health. That is the legacy I hope I am able to leave behind when I retire from the stage. We have planned a lot for the future. In all probability, this is the last tour for Glen McGrath, Mark Waugh, Shane Warne and myself, so we want to give it our all, make sure we have no regrets.

Tell us about your relationship with Mark Waugh.
We are twin brothers and that's a first, but that doesn't mean that we hold hands all the time. We have immense respect for each other. On a tour, there is not too much place for emotions, feelings, he is another teammate for me. We have never been too close when on tour or on the field. That's just the way we are. But I felt for Mark these last couple of months, when he was surrounded by controversies. He has answered so many questions, to the investigators, to the media back home, he has been under pressure. As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed and we should just concentrate on playing the game.

You have a huge fan club back home, how do you handle it?
You will be surprised but I get more mails from India than from any other part of the world. There is this girl who has been writing to me for the past 15 years, and she writes to me every month. She tells me about her life and I have been following it ever since.

Which place have you enjoyed traveling the most to?
England is one place I love going to. Another place I remember is Srinagar, where we went way back in 1986. It was an awesome place, but I haven't been back there since. I also love to just go out onto the streets in new cities, catch the local atmosphere, get a feel for the place. Photography is another of my hobbies, and this is when I get to indulge.

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