India’s premier fast bowler Ishant Sharma has warned his teammates to prepare to cop abuse from Australian crowds.

Sharma says handling the crowd sledging will be a factor in how India fare in the four-Test series starting in Adelaide on Tuesday.

“Australia is a really amazing country to play cricket in,” Sharma told reporters in Adelaide.

“What I know from my past experience in Australia, I think you will get a hard time from the crowd as well and you have to be prepared for all these things.

“Obviously it’s mentally challenging for you when the people are saying all these things to you, and at the same time you’re handling the pressure in the centre as well.

“If we are mentally ready for all these things, we will do well.”

Sharma, at age 26, is on his third tour of Australia but has meagre returns in the country.

In the 2007/08 tour of Australia, he took six wickets at an average of 59.66 and four years later just five wickets at 90.20.

On that most recent tour, Sharma confronted Michael Clarke in peak form with the Australian captain banking a triple century and a double-ton and averaging 125 for the series.

Sharma said despite the memory of Clarke’s run spree, the Indians weren’t overly focused on the Australian leader.

“We have certain number of plans for certain batsmen, not only Michael Clarke,” he said.

“(David) Warner is scoring runs for them, (Shane) Watson – you have different plans for everyone. We have a plan A, a plan B.

“I think the old ball is going to be very crucial for us, how you are going to bowl with the old ball to certain batsmen.

“That is the time you can go for runs, it’s very difficult for the bowlers to stick to your basics … you’re getting tired, you’re mind is getting drifted from one side to the other side, so how you can control all these things is really important.”