Australia coach Darren Lehmann says he's expecting plenty of feistiness during the upcoming one-day series against India and he hopes his young squad can weather the storm.
India and Australia have been involved in numerous on and off-field spats over the years that have strained relations between the two fierce rivals.
One of the most famous incidents came in 2008 when Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds was allegedly called a monkey by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.
There have been plenty of other run-ins since then, with the ferocious competitive spirit of the two cricket powerhouses often fuelling any underlying tensions.
Australia will host India in five one-dayers and three T20s this summer, with the 50-over series starting at the WACA Ground on Tuesday.
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Lehmann said he wouldn't be surprised if the series turned feisty at some point.
And he can't wait to see how some of his younger players handle the heat.
"Really, just the heat of the battle (will determine) how they go," Lehmann said on Friday.
"They have that in T20 - the pressure of the Big Bash and the big crowds.
"So they'll be used to that now, which is a good thing for us.
"International cricket is another step up for them, but I'm sure they'll handle it well. It will be a good challenge for them."
Star batsman David Warner is set to play in the series opener, but he's expected to be granted leave later in the series to be by his wife's side for the birth of their second child.
Warner scored an unbeaten 122 off 103 balls on Thursday in the drawn Test against the West Indies, giving him the perfect preparation to face India.
Young West Australian paceman Joel Paris is set to make his ODI debut in the series opener, with Lehmann keen to assess his options ahead of this year's World T20 in India.
Paris, Scott Boland, and Kane Richardson are among the young guns who can push their case with the ball, while Shaun Marsh has the chance to impress with the bat following his recent Test axing.
"We've got an eye with the T20 coming up," Lehmann said.
"We're looking at some players throughout this series to see if they step up to the international arena and play the type of cricket that you need to succeed.
"Those young guys get a chance."
Marsh, who scored a career-high 182 in the first Test against the West Indies before being dropped, has been in hot form for the Perth Scorchers in T20 ranks.
The 32-year-old has scored 47, 76no, 63no, 4, and 28 to boost his chances of a World T20 call-up.
