India's final warm-up game against Australia Chairman’s XI

With a week to go for the Boxing Day Test, India are likely to field their best side in the final warm-up game against Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at the Manuka Oval. Or should it be said ‘close to best side’? Having injured his ankle, Ishant Sharma is expected to sit out.

Reports had emerged that Sharma’s left ankle required cortisone injections and the injury could be more serious than one would think. Sharma bowled merely 5.3 overs during India’s first tour game and walked off twice during that short spell.

Sources insist it is a precautionary rest but the issue on Sharma’s availability is likely to linger till the morning of the first Test in Melbourne on December 26. “The doctor has advised him rest till Monday. So we would have a fresh look at him on Tuesday. But the work on him is going on and he’s improving,” media manager G S Walia said.

The Indian team management is optimistic that he’ll recover in the nick of time and aren’t asking for a replacement yet.

The Delhi pacer did train with his teammates on Sunday, though he chose not to bowl. He strolled at the ground and just rolled his arm over from a static position at the nets.

At some stage, MS Dhoni will be asked an uncomfortable question. Isn’t playing Ishant at MCG fraught with risk? What if the injury relapses in the middle of the Test? The Indians were shaken when Zaheer Khan limped off with a strained right hamstring on the first day of the Lord’s Test. They never recovered from the setback.

Khan’s return for Monday’s game is understandably a big boost to India. He bowled for close to half-an-hour in what was an intense practice session. The left-arm seamer was engaged in an interesting duel with Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag, meanwhile, has fond recollections of Manuka Oval where he hammered a century during the 2007-08 tour that paved his return to Test ranks in the subsequent Perth Test.
The game will be the first outing for Dhoni, Sehwag and R Ashwin. The Aussies have a high regard for Ashwin; Mike Hussey was quoted as saying that Ashwin earned a lot of respect from the home team.

Chairman’s XI batsmen have the likes of David Warner (who will lead the side), Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja. Looks like the Indian bowling will be in for another gruelling examination.

Pacemen Doug Bollinger and Peter George will lead the Chairman’s XI attack, while promising left-armer Jason Behrendorff has been called-up for the injured Trent Copeland.

Squads
Chairman’s XI: D Warner (C),
J Behrendorff, D Bollinger,
C Boyce, E Cowan, T Cooper,
A Doolan, P George, P Hughes, U Khawaja, J Lalor,
T Ludeman (WK), B Oakley
India: MS Dhoni (C&WK),
V Sehwag (V-C), R Ashwin,
R Dravid, G Gambhir, Z Khan,
V Kohli, VVS Laxman, A Mithun,
P Ojha, A Rahane, W Saha (WK),
I Sharma, R Sharma, S Tendulkar, V Kumar, U Yadav