Ponting and Co shrug off injury list woes

About the only consistent factor in the Australian camp these days is the one of fitness. Roll call before a game is becoming a dodgy exercise to see who is able to open the attack.

Practice sessions are now becoming a dangerous routine and although there is no stretcher or ambulance on standby, the Australians are starting to look at the squad of now 13 and wonder if they will need either crutches or a walking stick to support who is next to get a hamstring or broken finger or even a strained elbow.

Normally you need one hand to tick off who is fit and who is the replacement. However, the coach, Tim Nielsen, and skipper Ricky Ponting are starting to wonder about whether they do have a genuine bowling attack to front up over the next few days as the lengthening injury list creates a revolving door situation. The only people who have benefitted so far from this are India with their hopes of clinching the series, the airlines being paid for their shuttle service, and the doctor writing scripts.

With Moises Henriques, the Portuguese-born all-rounder and the latest with a hamstring twinge, excuse Ricky Ponting for wondering if this particular Indian sojourn is really worth the effort. After all, the side has been on the road as it were since their South African tour began in February and that ended in April after a tough summer at home.