Perth: It wasn’t anything as dramatic as a kiss-and-make-up happening, but Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting certainly reached a gentleman’s agreement under the watchful eyes of Ranjan Madugalle.

That was on Monday evening.

Come Wednesday and the agreement will be put to test on the most fiery pitch in the business — at the Waca, when the third 3mobile Test gets under way.

Indeed, the attention will be as much on the express pace of Shaun Tait and Virender Sehwag’s comeback at the highest level after a year (“it feels good”) as on the degree of gamesmanship and the nature of appeals.

For a change, then, gestures may take centre stage. The purists could scream, but the past 10 days have been quite extraordinary.

If Australia, “desperately” seeking a record-rewriting 17th consecutive win, couldn’t have got a more helpful venue, the visitors (0-2 down in the four-match series) couldn’t have faced more odds in their quest not to sink in the Swan River.

It’s a must-win situation for Team India and there’s so much to prove. Plenty to repay too as, after the SCG Test, Kumble and Co. have received enormous support from Australians cutting across ethnic roots.

What began as a high profile cricket series has, in just 10 days, grown into much more.

Understandably, then, there’s more pressure as well.

For the Indians, though, there’s relief that Matthew Hayden won’t be playing. The series’ highest scorer (307 at an average of 76-plus) hasn’t recovered from a hamstring injury and his place has gone to rookie Chris Rogers.

The one other change in the Australian XI may, however, cause some disquiet. In a horses for courses policy, Brad Hogg has been dropped and Tait (whose action was questioned by New Zealand only recently) included to make it an all-pace attack.

The Indians too are making two changes: Sehwag for the out of form Yuvraj Singh and, again, in a conditions-driven move, a third medium-pacer for Harbhajan Singh.

Irfan Pathan appeared to have the edge, but The Telegraph’s sources pointed out that Kumble “preferred” somebody (either the uncapped Pankaj Singh or Vikram Rajvir Singh) who would push the Australians on the back foot.

That decision won’t be taken till just before the toss.

What’s known, of course, is that the Fremantle Doc is bound to figure in the equation for all new-ball bowlers.

Sourav Ganguly, who skipped Monday’s nets, had a full workout on Tuesday and pulled up fine. “Thankfully, the fever hasn’t returned, but the throat is still very bad,” he remarked.

Senior-most pro Sachin Tendulkar, by the way, is the only one in the squad to have played a Test at the Waca. That was back in 1991-92 and while we lost, Sachin scripted an outstanding 114, among the finest of his hundreds.

In fact, consultant Gary Kirsten has a double-hundred at the Waca — not in a Test, but a first-class match on South Africa’s 1997-98 tour.

So, it’s not that the Team India dressing room is actually short on achievers whose exploits should inspire. But, as Kumble put it, the adjustment has to be in the mind.

Kumble is himself one wicket away from joining the 600-club.

TEAMS

India: Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan/Pankaj Singh/Vikram Rajvir Singh.

Australia: Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.

Umpires: Billy Bowden, Asad Rauf; TV: Bruce Oxenford.

Match Referee: Mike Procter.

Test starts: 8.00am IST.