Brett Lee on Indian mission

Brett Lee has declared himself ready to put to rest the frustration of 2004 and prove he is a man for all conditions by conquering India.

In a 68-Test career that has yielded 289 wickets - the fifth most by an Australian - Lee is yet to play a Test on Indian soil.

He didn't make the trip for the 2001 series because he required elbow surgery, while three years later he was forced to carry the drinks as Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and subcontinent specialist Michael Kasprowicz teamed superbly to help claim a remarkable series win.

As the Australian team flew into Jaipur yesterday, Lee, who will turn 32 in November, said he had a burning desire to succeed in India - a country where he is idolised.

"I know there is going to be a lot of pressure on me as a bowler to lead an Australian attack but that's what I enjoy," he said. "I look at this as being a massive challenge and a great opportunity that I know myself and the rest of the guys are looking forward to."

Lee has arrived in India just weeks after the breakdown of his marriage, but the pin-up quick says he is ready to focus on cricket.

"I have gone through a difficult time of my life which I have to accept. It's about now coming over to India and playing cricket," he said.

The debonair Lee has been a long-time favourite of Indian businesses, and his name and image are splashed on billboards and in magazines.

Lee knows it is up to him to set an example for his fellow bowlers, who have played Twenty20 and one-day internationals in India but also have yet to taste Test conditions. The metronomic Stuart Clark and left-armer Mitchell Johnson are expected to partner Lee in the series opener in Bangalore, starting October 9, with the late-blooming Bryce McGain set to be the frontline tweaker.

Australia are confident tight security measures in India will ensure the squad is safe throughout the seven-week trip. A bomb squad patrols the vehicle entrance to the team's Sheraton Hotel in Jaipur, while the players' rooms are in a segregated part of the complex which is under guard by the army. Anyone who enters this area must go through a metal detector.

More than 30 soldiers, some carrying machine guns, greeted the Aussies when they arrived in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Australia yesterday had a light recovery session in and around the team hotel pool and will begin official training today at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy.