Places up for grabs for Oz ODI tour of India: Ponting

Sydney, Oct. 19 (ANI): Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting says the national selectors and he will have to take some tough decisions while deciding on the batting line-up for the seven-game one-day international series against India.

"The selectors and myself are going to have a bit of thinking to do over the next few days as to what we do with the batting line-up," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying at Sydney Airport prior to his departure on Monday evening.

Ponting welcomed the inclusion of opener Shaun Marsh and wicketkeeper Tim Paine in the squad, saying they possessed the required capabilities to deliver in a tough series.

"But whichever way we go there we know we've got very good depth in our batting with someone like Shaun coming back in, so hopefully we get it right on the morning of the first game," he said.

Australia currently lead the ICC one-day rankings by four points from India, who surprisingly failed to advance beyond the group stage at the recent Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa.

Australia won that tournament, but Ponting predicted the series in India would be a "great test for us".

"They will be particularly hard to beat in India, they always are," Ponting said.

Ponting said he hadn't seen much of uncapped left arm spinner Jon Holland apart from a spell in the nets before last year's Boxing Day Test, but had heard good reports.

"Everyone believes he has a good future," Ponting said.

The leading scorer in the Champions Trophy, 34-year-old Ponting said he hadn't picked up a bat for a week and a half.

"I've played more golf than I have cricket, I went down to Melbourne on the weekend and went to the races and just got some time away," Ponting said. (ANI)