Boxing Day Test might see a depleted Australian line up

Sydney, Nov 30 (UNI) India might face a depleted Australian team for the Boxing Day Test as Michael Clarke joins the casualty list that already includes in-form opener Phil Jaques, Andrew Symonds and Mathew Hayden.

Clarke, who has been suffering from hamstring soreness time and again, suffered a hamstring problem and has been withdrawn from the New South Wales team playing Victoria at the MCG with a hamstring problem.

Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris examined Clarks and adviced him to rest before the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australia's opening batsman Phil Jaques too is under close medical supervision for any complications that can affect adults with mumps and could put a question mark over his availability for the first Test against India.

Besides Clarke and Jacques, Matthew Hayden is also suffering from knee tendonitis while Andrew Symonds has an ankle injury.

Hayden and Symonds recently withdrew from their Queensland team to play against South Australia at the Gabba.

Although, all these players are expected to be fit for the Chappell-Hadlee series, which will be preceded by a Twenty20 International against the Black Caps on December 11 in Perth, but uncertainity still looms over the availability of Stuart MacGill.

MacGill, who is not fit and will make a decision about his immediate future after he undergoes a scan on his wrist next week Monday to determine the source of problem that gave him numbness in his bowling hand during the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka.

UNI