Sydney, Sept.20 (ANI): Former Australian swimmer and Olympic champion Ian Thorpe says that he is getting used to life on the campus.

Pursuing studies in psychology and linguistics at Sydney's Macquarie University, the 26-year-old admitted he is settling into a more humble student existence - far from the spotlight. "It's good, I am getting used to it - the exams, the tutorials. Sorry, 'tutes'," he said. "It's fun. I am enjoying it," news.com.au quoted him, as saying. Thorpe dropped out of school in Year 10 to focus on his swimming career and the 2000-2004 Olympian admitted he was wary of tackling a university degree after such a long hiatus from study.

"Well, I am not stupid and I am glad that I have been able to prove that to myself. It is a hard process to get into that studying mode and into remembering how I used to do it. That has been a challenge for me," Thorpe said. "But I decided I want to learn and the more I learn, the more I realize there is so much to learn out there," he added.

The millionaire Sydneysider insists he's now just another ordinary student - albeit with a luxury car and designer threads. "People are getting more and more used to me. The first week was tough," he said.

"The second week everyone had cameras . . . but by the third week everyone calmed down and now I am old news. "I just blend in." (ANI)

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Sydney, Sept.20 (ANI): Australian all-rounder Shane Watson should find himself penciled in for the first Test against India at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium next month, because he offers flexibility, both as a batsman and as a fast bowler, says skipper Ricky Ponting.

Speaking ahead of the team's departure for India on Sunday, Ponting told news.com.au that having Watson in the squad would make it possible for the Australians to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Ponting believes Watson's all-round ability as a technically correct batsman and lively change bowler may well have won him a place in the four-Test series even if Symonds had been part of the squad.

"I think he might have played anyway if Symonds was around just for that flexibility and what his bowling can offer," Ponting said. "I would be surprised if he didn't play in the opening game. He's been pretty harshly viewed in recent years but you don't average almost 50 in first-class cricket, particularly batting at the Gabba, if you haven't got the right game. He could get himself picked in the side as a batter alone, but what he can give us with the ball is a bonus. Him for Symonds is probably the absolutely likely swap at the moment."

Watson has played just three Tests, the last in November 2005 against the West Indies.

Australia is likely to base its attack around pace given its uncredentialled spinners, Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza, have not played a Test between them.

Ponting said there may be times when conditions dictate that both spinners must play, making Watson's bowling even more valuable.

Despite India being synonymous with spin, Australia is likely to try to employ the same tactics which led to the success of 2004, Australia's first series victory in India for 35 years.

It was based on the disciplined pace bowling of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz.

This time Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson, who between them have not played a Test in India, will be expected to do the same job.

"The tactics last time worked very well for us," said Ponting, who was a spectator for all but the last Test because of injury when Adam Gilchrist led the side.

"We were able to strangle them. We were able to take their boundaries away and make it difficult for them.

"A lot of the time we bowled at their strengths with strong fields in those areas.

"We did things differently last time and we'll look at doing that again if conditions suit." (ANI)

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Sydney, Sept.20 (ANI): Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes that 25-year-old debutant Jason Krejza has the potential and skill to counter India's famed batting order in the forthcoming away series.

"It will be tough but I'm pretty excited about it," Ponting said about using his untried spinners against the world's best players of slow bowling.

Referring to Krejza, who moved from New South Wales to Tasmania to further his career two seasons ago, Ponting told news.com.au: "He's always impressed me from the time I first saw him at the academy five or six years ago."

"I've been talking about him quietly for a long time because what I see with him is what a lot of other off-spinners don't have, the ability to turn the ball really big. He puts more work on the ball than probably any off-spinner I've seen," he added.

Speaking about both Krejza and Bryce McCain, he said: "They are very different spinners but at the same time they could complement each other really well if we happen to play both in the same side." (ANI)

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London, Sept.20 (ANI): Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson has said that the team's star Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo almost joined Arsenal instead of Manchester United.

The Sun quoted Fergie as saying: "Arsene Wenger must have been close, he had him over at Highbury about 25 times!" Gunners boss Wenger has still not got over the fact he missed out on the Portugal winger, 23, and admitted: "If I was to have a player from Manchester United it would be Ronaldo - because we were so close to getting him.

"We were a just few hundred-thousand pounds away. I was very close." (ANI)

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