Tait shrugs off throwing talk

Shaun Tait remains unworried by the debate over his action and knew the time would come when his bowling would be at the centre of controversy. Last week New Zealand's captain Daniel Vettori highlighted Tait when he and John Bracewell, the coach, refused to be satisfied by his technique.

"It didn't really worry me at all," Tait said in the Australian. "It was going to be one of those things that was going to come at some point in my career and then disappear, just looking at Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar.

"Like Vettori said, blokes bowling 150kph or over, someone is going to say something about that action at some point. They have and now it's gone."

Tait will have another chance to prove himself against New Zealand on Thursday during the final match of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in Hobart. He upset the visitors with his speed in the Twenty20 and the opening game of the one-day series, but did not get to bowl before rain ruined Sunday's second match.

In Adelaide Tait sprayed his first spell, but came back well after a chat with Ricky Ponting to finish with 3 for 59 from ten overs. "It's another little learning curve," he said. "I was trying to bowl fast and my lines were out. It was my first game in front of my home crowd so I was a touch nervous."

Tait has been chosen in the 12-man squad to face India on Boxing Day and Shoaib Akhtar, who has also had questions over his whippy action, believes Tait must play. "The Indians will be scared of him," Shoaib said. "They will not be comfortable with his pace at all. If the Australians make nice, quick pitches the Indians will be jumping all over the place."