Star quick Mitchell Starc has put his hand up to be selected for Australia’s third Test against India but admits he will be hindered by his injured finger.
Australia has missed the speedy left-armer since he broke his finger while fielding during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG.
The demolition of the Proteas in December proved to be a costly affair for Australia, which also lost all-rounder Cameron Green to the same injury during the match.
But the pair will both play in the Test in Indore, starting on Wednesday.
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Starc said he was feeling “good enough” but will need to field with a splint on his finger for protection.
“There’s going to be a level of discomfort for a little while. I don’t think it is going to be 100 per cent for a little while,” Starc said in Indore on Monday.
“But the ball is coming out quite nicely and I feel like I’m pretty much at full tilt.
“It wouldn’t be the first Test match I’ve played in some sort of discomfort.
“If I only played when I was at 100 per cent I would have only played five or 10 Tests.
“I’m happy with where it’s at and I’ve built up enough of a pain threshold to deal with that stuff over the last 10 or 12 years.”
Captain Pat Cummins will miss the Test after returning home to Sydney to be with his seriously ill mother Maria.
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Just like Cummins did during the second Test in Delhi, Starc could play as Australia’s only frontline fast bowler with the tourists to consider again picking three spinners.
But if that is the case, Green will be able to bowl valuable overs of fast-medium in Indore.
In Green’s last Test, the 23-year-old picked up his first five-wicket haul in Tests.
“I had 10 days off when I first did the injury and I’ve been bowling since,” Starc said.
“Workload-wise, body-wise, no concern at all, I’m comfortable and happy with where my numbers are, where my body is at preparing for this series.
“Very happy with where it’s all at, now it’s just an execution of skills having had a break from game time.”
New spin sensation Todd Murphy suffered a slight side injury during the second Test defeat in Delhi, but Australia still expects him to play alongside veteran Nathan Lyon and left-armer Matt Kuhnemann.
Australia will attempt to win just its second Test on Indian soil since 2004 without Cummins and veteran opener David Warner, who has been ruled out of the rest of the series due to a broken elbow.
Despite entering the match 2-0 down and its hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy already over, Australia can lock up its spot in the World Test Championship final by avoiding a 4-0 whitewash in India.
-AAP
