Clarke no certainty for first Test

Australia's injury crisis could yet have ramifications for the first Test against West Indies at the Gabba with Michael Clarke in doubt, according to Australia's physio Alex Kountouris. Peter Siddle has already declared that he will be ready for the Test, although Ricky Ponting is concerned over the fitness of his fast-bowling brigade in general.

Clarke will be one of the most closely watched players in the lead-up to the Test, which begins on November 26, as he continues to deal with back soreness that ruled him out of the tour of India. He has a history of back problems but Kountouris said this particular injury was slightly different.

"He gets back soreness that usually only takes him two or three days to get over," Kountouris told the Age. "That is what has made this one unusual. It didn't come right so quickly. He's not doing anything too elaborate right now. He's running again, which is a good sign. He still has 20 or so days before the Test but I can't say anything is certain."

The Australians are hoping Clarke is fit to turn out for New South Wales before the first Test, although his opportunities are limited and he hasn't had a net session since September. The Blues play a one-day match on November 15 and a Sheffield Shield game starting two days later, and those will be the only chances for Clarke to give his back a proper trial before the Gabba Test.

His New South Wales team-mate Brad Haddin has made his return to first-class cricket this week, following surgery on a broken finger, and should be a certain starter for the Test series. However, it is the fast-bowling stocks that Australia will be especially keen to monitor with only three weeks until the first of six Tests this summer.

Brett Lee was sent home from India with an elbow problem and is expected to be bowling again soon, perhaps next week, while Siddle's side stiffness raised questions about his short-term future. However, after arriving back in Melbourne, Siddle said he was confident that his soreness would not keep him out of the first Test.

"It's nothing bad," Siddle said. "I just pulled up a little bit tight, with a bit of soreness, from the last match and they decided the best thing with the first Test coming up was just to come home and rest up and make sure I am 100% and ready to go for that. There's no worries at all, just a bit of soreness, and the selectors and coaches thought it was the best thing to stay off for the rest of the game and come home and take it easy."

But the captain Ricky Ponting said Siddle's injury was a concern, because stiffness and tightness in a fast bowler's side could sometimes lead to a six- to eight-week lay-off. The Australians are trying to balance the desire to win in India with the need to look after their bowlers for the Tests, and adding to the problems is that Mitchell Johnson is reportedly playing despite an ankle strain and Shane Watson is also battling soreness.

"Siddle and Lee are already home, two guys that could have been in our first Test line-up," Ponting said in the Herald Sun. "Ben Hilfenhaus and Johnson are here, so we have to make sure we are doing the right thing by those two. We will try and keep playing the best team here but we have to have an eye on that first Test."