Australia recall Hayden for Adelaide test |
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Sunday January 20, 03:40 PM
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By Julian Linden
PERTH (Reuters) - Opener Matthew Hayden has been recalled to Australia's squad for next week's fourth and final test against India after recovering from injury.
Hayden was forced to miss this week's third test defeat in Perth but has been making steady improvement and is expected to play in Adelaide.
He has been named in a 12-man squad for the match with Chris Rogers dropping out. Rogers made his test debut as a replacement for Hayden in the third match in Perth.
The 30-year-old made scores of 4 and 15 in his two innings as Australia lost the match by 72 runs, ending a 16-match winning streak dating back more than two years.
Hayden will still have to pass a fitness test to be assured of playing in Adelaide but Australia captain Ricky Ponting was confident he would be available.
"I think it is pretty likely he will play," Ponting told reporters.
"He has done a lot of work this week and I have spoken to him a lot -- he has been running at about 80-90 per cent."
The left handed Hayden had not missed a test for Australia since 2000 and was in great form after scoring centuries in the first two tests against India in Melbourne and Sydney.
Ponting said he was close to being fit enough to play in Perth but the selectors decided to play it safe and give him more time to fully recover.
"He has had an extra week and half under his belt and I am pretty sure he is going to be up for Adelaide," Ponting said.
"You are going to miss guys of his calibre -- he is one of the all-time great opening batsmen that have ever played the game.
"We missed him, and hopefully he can come back in in Adelaide and make some runs for us down there."
Australia are likely to make another change to the side that lost in Perth, with spinner Brad Hogg expected to return at the expense of Shaun Tait.
Ponting said the Australians had made a mistake by going into the match with an all-pace attack for the first time in 16 years.
Tait did not get a single wicket in Perth while Hogg, who acted as 12th man, has been included in the squad for Adelaide, which traditionally suits spin bowlers.
Australian squad for fourth test in Adelaide:
Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.
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