McGain fails to train due to strain

Australia's likely preferred spinner for the opening Test, Bryce McGain, failed to bowl at the squad's first net session in India on Wednesday. McGain strained his right shoulder earlier this month while on tour with Australia A and while he was confident he would be back bowling several days ago, the team was taking no risks upon arriving in Jaipur.

"Bryce is keen to have a bowl," the coach Tim Nielsen told AAP. "It's a shame he got his little niggle in India with the A tour so we're just nursing him through the last stage of that rehab.

"He'll get going in the next day or so and be ready to have a trundle. Once he can get his first bowl over here he'll be a little more relaxed."

Plenty of eyes were also on Matthew Hayden, who has played no competitive cricket since a short stint in the IPL in late April. Hayden picked up a persistent achilles tendon injury that ruled him out of the West Indies tour and he also skipped Australia's recent ODIs against Bangladesh to allow more recovery time.

AAP reported that Hayden did not look to be struggling in his movement but was clearly rusty due to his lack of practice. Hayden has two weeks to prove his fitness ahead of the opening Test, which starts in Bangalore on October 9.