Haddin confident of Leeds return

Brad Haddin is confident his fractured finger will be able to withstand the rigours of a Test match, and has given himself a strong chance of playing at Headingley on Friday. Haddin was withdrawn from the Australian XI shortly after the coin toss at Edgbaston as he broke his left ring finger during the warm-ups, but is hopeful he will be available for the final two Ashes Tests.

Haddin, with the assistance of a pain-killing injection, completed his first training session in a week on Wednesday, and was enthused at the progress of the recovery. The Australian glovesman completed a number of wicketkeeping drills and took throw-downs in the nets; a major breakthrough given his inability to even grip the bat last week.

His return in place of Graham Manou would significantly bolster Australia's batting depth entering the fourth Test. Haddin scored 229 runs at 76.33 in the opening two matches of the series, including a dashing 121 in Cardiff.

"I was hesitant this morning but after getting through everything today I'm quite confident it will get through the Test match," Haddin told Cricinfo. "Everything has come through better than expected and it felt quite comfortable towards the end (of training). I think I was just being a bit cautious to start with, having not caught any balls or done anything for a week and it being a bit tender. As I got into the session it got a lot more comfortable with how it felt.

"It was sore obviously last week, and tomorrow is going to be the big day with how it pulls up. It's all well and good to do everything today but if you can't play the next four days of a Test match it's not worth it. I'm pretty confident it will be OK."

Despite his optimism, Haddin conceded he may require surgery on the finger after the Ashes. A large fragment of bone has broken away above the top knuckle on his left ring finger, with several smaller pieces entering the joint. The finger has been heavily strapped and placed in a protective plastic cast, and will continue to be monitored by medical staff.

"We've spoken to the specialist back home," he said. "There's not much you can do with them. You can try to operate on them or let them heal naturally. The first option was never really going to be the case.

"It's something that's pretty hard to tell. It depends how well it calcifies over time and how long a break you've got and how well it comes together. It's one of those things that you have to wait and see long term. Sometimes you might be fine, it might come together and you've got enough movement in your finger to move on. Most keepers' hands haven't got great movement in their joints. It might just be one of those things where you just let it go and be hopeful it comes together."

Australia's other major injury concern, Brett Lee, also completed a solid training session at Headingley on Wednesday, showing few ill-effects from the rib injury that sidelined him from the first three Tests. Michael Clarke played no part in Australia's training session, having strained an abdominal muscle during his match-saving century at Edgbaston. Medical staff are optimistic that Australia's top-ranked batsman will be available for selection at Headingley.