"The pace and bounce of this pitch can shock you a little bit... they played here a few years ago and we managed to beat them pretty comprehensively. Hopefully, it would open the scars and wounds of that day," the Australian vice-captain said after his team finished practising on Monday.

Indians made 203 in that one-day international in 2004 with Virender Sehwag (34), Yuvraj Singh (47) and Murali Kartik (32) alone being among the runs.

Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark and Shaun Tait are likely to form the lethal pace attack which could test the Indians to the maximum, regardless of the experience which the Indians have in their ranks.

"Lee has bowled as quick as I have ever seen anyone bowl on that sort of track, the variety of Johnson and the accuracy of Clark, who, I would think, will enjoy these conditions to the full," Gilchrist said.

He said the team was focused on securing the 17th consecutive Test win which would give Australians the world record.

"Having secured (16 successive wins) it earlier, I never thought we could do it again. The boys are desperate to do it. We also win the series and even as everyone keeps saying it's a dead rubber, we don't want to think it that way."

Inevitably, the questions veered off towards the team meeting which the Australians held on Sunday in response to the heated reactions from the cricket world on their conduct at the SCG earlier this month.

"We had a normal meeting. It was scheduled three months ago, it wasn't as if we were responding to the criticism.

"There was minimum reaction on the on-field stuff. Everyone was allowed to make a point but I don't think anyone did," the wicketkeeper said.

"(Former captain) Mark Taylor was present but it isn't as if he addressed the boys. He made a couple of points... Ricky Ponting addressed the team, spoke about his week and asked everyone to put it behind and move on."

After the controversy-marred Sydney Test, Indian skipper Anil Kumble had suggested that the hosts did not play in the spirit of the game and Gilchrist said the veteran leg-spinner was entitled to his opinion.

"Anil is a fine man, he is obviously a fine leader of the team, trying to give it a direction as we could see from the other side. He is a great competitor and someone I've tended to admire over the years," he said.

"I rang the guy up when he took his 500th Test wicket, I tracked down his number and that's a reflection of how highly we regard him.

"He is entitled to his opinion, whether he still held it after three hours, three days, I don't know. He is free to say what he wants to say, he is far more experienced than me," the Aussie vice-captain said.

But he made it clear it was up to the Australians to play in a style they wanted to.