What does a cricket player’s first trip to India have to do with tasting sugar?

Everything, according to Perth Scorchers coach and former Test star Justin Langer.

The Scorchers will start as rank underdogs in the coming Twenty20 Champions League in India.

Not only have they been hit hard by injuries and withdrawals before a ball has even been bowled, but a large chunk of the squad has little or no experience of playing cricket in India, where the stifling conditions and crumbling pitches makes for a hard day at the office.

So great is the Indian challenge that Langer rates Australia’s 2004 Test series triumph there as the highlight of his glittering career.

The Scorchers held a pre-season camp in Darwin in a bid to acclimatise to the weather conditions they are likely to face in India.

But Langer says the team’s younger players will only realise the true extent of the challenge once they experience it first-hand.

“It’s like sugar. You don’t know what it tastes like until you taste it,” Langer said ahead of the Scorchers’ tournament opener against South Africa’s Highveld Lions on Monday.

“I can tell you what it tastes like, but until you taste it, you don’t know.

“It’s the same as playing in India. Until you experience it, you don’t actually know.

“It’s very tough to play there. But our kids are looking forward to tasting sugar for the first time.”

The Scorchers will be without Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh and Pat Cummins through injury, while Mike Hussey and Nathan Coulter-Nile are also unavailable after being selected by their respective Indian Premier League sides.

Scorchers: Ashton Agar, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Burt Cockley, Liam Davis, Brad Hogg, Simon Katich (capt), Joe Mennie, Marcus North, Joel Paris, Tom Triffitt, Ashton Turner, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman.