Australia are all set to welcome captain Ricky Ponting back into the playing eleven for Friday’s third one-dayer against India here.

The Tasmanian missed Saturday’s wash-out in Bangalore as well as Tuesday’s thumping 84-run win against India with a hamstring injury sustained during the Twenty20 World Cup. Ponting had been denied an opportunity to test out the hammy by the elements on the eve of the Kochi one-dayer, but on Wednesday evening, he had a net session at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here, and came through it unscathed.

His recovery will, obviously, be monitored over the next 36 hours, with strong indications coming out of the Australian camp that he is almost certain to return to action at the expense of Brad Hodge, who has scores of 0 and 3 in this series so far.

Ponting, Ben Hilfenhaus and Adam Voges all drove down to the match venue in Uppal for a light practice drill, a couple of hours after arriving in the afternoon by the same chartered flight as the Indians.
The trio wasn’t a part of the playing eleven either in Bangalore or in the second match of the Future Cup on Tuesday.

With the arrival here on Tuesday night of left-arm medium-pacer Nathan Bracken from Down Under, the Australians are now at full strength.

Baby girl for Bracken
Bracken had been given official leave to be with his wife during the birth of their first child — a baby boy named Chase — over the weekend.

The rest of the Australians as well as the Indians had the day off on travel day. India are scheduled to practice on Thursday morning, followed by the Aussies later in the day.