Nets could decide Lee's partner

Ricky Ponting is unsure who will get the nod as Brett Lee's new-ball partner in the first Test against South Africa starting on Thursday. Australia are heavily favoured to pick the spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill on a surface expected to turn and Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz are the leading contenders for the second fast-bowling place.

"It's going to be wicket-reliant as much as anything," Ponting said in The Australian. "I spoke to the Newlands groundsman leading up to the one-day game, and he seemed to think it might spin a bit here in the Test match. If we go in with two spinners, then as to which other quick I'm really not sure yet."

Ponting said the decision could rely on how the fast men, including the spare bowler Shaun Tait, perform in the nets. The Australians had a full session on Tuesday and will have a top-up training today as they attempt to gain Test focus in the three days after Sunday's dramatic one-day loss. "It might just come down to whoever impresses the most in the nets," Ponting said.

Clark has been with the squad for the entire tour and his similarities to Glenn McGrath were expected to help him towards a Test debut. However, he has been part of the one-day attack belted by South Africa and Kasprowicz, who picked up 44 Pura Cup wickets this summer, could play his first international match since Trent Bridge in 2005.

The work of Clark, who collected four victims in his past four matches at an economy rate of 5.82, has impressed Ponting. "He's bowled beautifully," Ponting told AAP. "He hasn't bowled with the new ball, but he's been on fairly early in every game. He's been difficult and uncomfortable for their batsmen."

Clark has not played a first-class match since November but Ponting did not think his lack of bowling would be a problem. "He's in really good touch at the moment and I don't think [not playing a four-day game] will worry him too much. He's done a lot of bowling since he's been here."

Ponting said Kasprowicz also had "a few things going for him" and the decision would be a difficult one. "One of my strengths is adaptability, both in my style of bowling and having an impact in different conditions," Kasprowicz said in The Australian.

South Africa have picked a 14-man squad for the first two Tests and Ponting said he had a good idea how they would play. "They'll try and grind out their runs as much as they can, bat for long periods of time and try to make us bat for a long time in order to score our runs," he said in The Australian. "They won't let us get away too much."