Date-stamped : 19 Feb1998 - 10:21 19 February Reiffel keen for India Ken Piesse Family photo albums and jars of Vegemite were as important as boots and playing equipment for Paul Reiffel as he packed for the Australian tour of India. AUSTRALIAN CRICKET editor KEN PIESSE reports. Paul Reiffel says the passion for cricket in India can be so extreme it's suffocating. Learning to retain one's focus in a vastly-different country and culture is crucial to success. The hardest thing is getting used to all the people, he says. It seems like there's a billion people there and being a cricketer, they know all about you. No matter where you turn there's someone wanting to talk cricket with you. There's so much passion for it, it's hard to get any peace and quiet. It takes a lot of getting used to. Some don't adjust to it all. One of two Victorians in the 15-man squad which left on Friday, Reiffel says Australia is determined to reverse its reputation for being sub-continent easybeats. But it's going to be difficult. It has been almost 30 years since an Australian team has won a series there. "In their own backyard they're a very difficult side to beat, Reiffel says. They've grown up there and know their wickets so well. At the same time we haven't played a Test series against them since we got a good side together. While it will be tough, and a very different experience, it's also going to be a very interesting series. There's no use getting too hung up about playing on different wickets in different places. We're going to be sticking to our normal game plan which has been successful previously. Just eight of the Australian squad, including only two of the bowlers, Reiffel and Shane Warne, have played a Test on the sub-continent. Reiffel says Australia's mediocre results overseas have not always been an accurate reflection of the team's ability. Eighteen months ago when India won the one-off Test easily at New Delhi, the Australians fielded two spin rookies in Brad Hogg and Peter McIntyre. This time Warne is available, along with the highly promising Stuart MacGill and experienced Gavin Robertson who has been on major tours of the sub-continent previously. We're going to try and keep it tight and keep the pressure on them, he says. In taking five cheap wickets at New Delhi, Reiffel said he enjoyed the opportunity to bowl on drying, cracked wickets and would welcome more opportunities on similar wickets. He says virtually every player has included a jar of Vegemite as part of their touring provisions. He has also taken the latest baby photos of his just-born son, Bailey. It'll be the first time I've been away for any real extent since he was born, he says. He was unavailable for the recent short tour of New Zealand because of a broken finger. Reiffel says the main Indian cities offer five-star hotel and a wide range of food. Problems, however, can be encountered at the smaller cities, where the accomodation varies. A highlight for the Australians will come in mid-tour at Calcutta when they play the second Test at Eden Gardens, which holds 120,000. Vice-captain Steve Waugh is the only member of the Australian squad to have played there, during the 1987 World Cup campaign. It's a sensational ground, said wicketkeeper Ian Healy. We were there for the opening of the World Cup and the atmosphere for a full house was just something else. Ken Piesse