Hayden and Ponting show improvements

Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, Australia's two key injury worries for India, are on track to take part in the four-Test series starting next month. Ponting left the West Indies tour early to have surgery on his wrist while Hayden has been struggling with a lingering Achilles tendon problem.

"Everything has been progressing exactly as we liked with Haydos," Australia's coach Tim Nielsen told the Herald Sun. Hayden did not appear in a game in the West Indies and the team will be hoping he recovers in time, especially if Andrew Symonds does not make the tour due to his rehabilitation after being sent home from the one-day series in Darwin.

Ponting had a short bat at the pre-series camp in Brisbane last month and has continued to increase his workload. He visited Alex Kountouris, Australia's physiotherapist, in Sydney this week.

"The feedback was pretty solid, all good," Nielsen said. "He has just started batting again as well."

Nielsen said they would wait to make a decision on Symonds' availability for the India trip. "Until we have finalised everything with Roy (Symonds) and made those decisions, we're probably not really willing to talk about it, to be honest," Nielsen said. The squad will be named following Australia's current match against India A in Hyderabad and the first Test is in Bangalore on October 9.