Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting said he had been ruled out of the third test against India yesterday after doctors told the batsman his fractured thumb needed more time to heal.
Ponting said the injury had left him unable to make the third test in Nagpur starting on Oct. 26 but he hoped to be fit for the fourth and final test in Bombay early next month.
"Naturally I'm pretty disappointed not to be ready," said Ponting, who has already missed the first test win in Bangalore and the second test, which began in Madras yesterday.
"The thumb is certainly healing, but there is no strength in it, and the medical advice is that I would be a one-in-a-hundred chance of being right for the third test," he told reporters here.
Cricket Australia medical adviser Trefor James said a specialist's examination showed the bone in Ponting's broken thumb was knitting well.
"But while he is progressing well, his thumb is not yet strong enough to grip a bat," he said.
Ponting fractured his left thumb while fielding during Australia's six-wicket loss to England in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.
Ponting's unavailability presents batting rivals Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann with more time to state their cases for retention in the third test team.
Ponting said Lehmann's reported comments on Tuesday that he was prepared to step down for Clarke came out a little early.
"That was what was mystifying about what Darren said, there was no certainty that I was going to be back so he has made his statements about a week and a half too early," he said.
"As far as I am concerned Darren Lehmann has got a helluva lot of test cricket to play yet. And all he was trying to say is that he would understand if selectors left him out for Michael Clarke," Ponting said.
Australia made a rousing start in the second test against India here yesterday, reaching 111 for no loss by lunch on the opening day.
Left-handed openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer seized the advantage on the even-paced wicket after captain Adam Gilchrist won his second toss in succession and elected to take first strike.
Langer was unbeaten at the break on 55 with six hits to the fence. Hayden was batting on 52, his knock studded with six boundaries and two sixes.
The tourists took the field wearing black arm-bands in memory of legendary Australian all-rounder Keith Miller who died in Sydney on Monday aged 84.
The openers took charge from the moment Langer punched Irfan Pathan to the point fence in the first over of the match.
Langer then edged Zaheer Khan through the slips and drove past the bowler for another boundary two balls later.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who came on in the 10th over, was welcomed by Hayden with a six over long-on.
Hayden then smashed leg-spinner Anil Kumble for another six to bring up his individual half-century.
India left out opener Akash Chopra from the side that lost the first Test at Bangalore by 217 runs on Sunday and brought in middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif.
Either Yuvraj Singh or wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel will open the innings with Virender Sehwag.
Australia retained the same side which leads 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
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