Victorian coach Greg Shipperd is hoping the Bushrangers' sheer talent will offset the team's lack of preparation for its opening Sheffield Shield clash of the 2009-10 season against South Australia - beginning in Adelaide on Friday.
While the Redbacks have already played and scored an outright win in their opening Shield match against Tasmania earlier this month, the Vics have only just arrived back from the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India where they performed superbly to reach the semi-finals.
So rushed has the team's preparation been for the start of the first-class season on Friday that the team only managed to squeeze in one training session - at the MCG on Tuesday night - to re-adjust to the red ball and Australian conditions after having spent much of October playing on the low, slow wickets of India with the white ball.
And the Vics will be without skipper Cameron White, No.1 quick Peter Siddle and promising spinner Jon Holland, who are all with the Australian team on the current one-day tour of India.
Yet few teams would still be able to field a team boasting the likes of former Test players Chris Rogers, Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald in the top order as well as a bowling attack spearheaded by Shane Harwood, Dirk Nannes, Clint McKay and forgotten leg spinner Bryce McGain - who is back to full fitness after an injury-plagued 2008-09 season.
Shipperd says he is confident the team's talent will overcome its lack of preparation but conceded South Australia would go into Friday's game with a significant advantage given their superior preparation.
"It is a big challenge for our players to switch mindsets and the physical challenges are different as well," Shipperd said of going straight from Twenty20 cricket in India to Shield cricket.
"I think by the end of the game in Adelaide we will know how tough it has been."
In particular Shipperd said the clash posed a major challenge for the Vics' bowlers.
"The bowlers instead of bowling four overs a day now have to go in and think about bowling 20-25 overs a day so the management of our group early in the season is going to be critical for us to start the season well - which has been one of our strengths," he said.
But Shipperd is confident the defending Shield champions - who also reached the finals of both the Ford Ranger Cup and the KFC Big Bash last season - would produce their best on short notice in Adelaide.
"Obviously they (South Australia) have had a lead-in that we haven't got but with the quality of our team - if we can play anywhere near our potential then it's going to be a good, tight game," he said.
"There is no doubt we are not as fresh (going into the season) as we have been in the past but there is enough experience in our group to put those sorts of challenges aside."
Likely Victorian squad: David Hussey (capt), Chris Rogers, Nick Jewell, Brad Hodge, Andrew McDonald, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade, Shane Harwood, Dirk Nannes, Clint McKay, Bryce McGain, John Hastings, Lloyd Mash.