Australia captain Ricky Ponting is expected to return for Friday's third one-day international against India amid an escalating war of words between the rival camps. Ponting attended nets here after missing the first two matches because of a hamstring injury sustained during last month's Twenty20 world championships in South Africa.
Australia will also welcome back left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken, who has joined the touring party after being given compassionate leave to attend the birth of his first child. Ponting and Bracken will strengthen the tourists as they bid for a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series, having won the second match in Kochi by 84 runs on Tuesday after the first in Bangalore was abandoned because of rain.
The build-up to the third game has been spiced up by comments from Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, who accused the Australians of arrogance and vulgar language. Ponting urged his team to concentrate on the game and "leave all the talking to the Indians."
"That is not the way they (India) generally play their cricket, so they have put on some sort of a brave face," the Australian captain said. "We will go and play the best aggressive cricket we can and leave all the talking to the Indians.
Harbhajan pointed his bat in anger at the Australian fielders after his dismissal at Kochi, prompting umpire Steve Bucknor to intervene and persuade him to return to the pavilion. Match referee Chris Broad spoke to the management of both teams after the game and warned the captains to control their players.