Symonds's duck season worries Ponting

Andrew Symonds's horror batting run concerns Ricky Ponting, but he has insisted that his struggling allrounder stick to his previously successful routine. Symonds has struck a duck run of five in six innings, and his collection is starting to rival Greg Chappell's magnificent seven of 1981-82.

Symonds ended the Champions Trophy with a zero, and added another two against New Zealand before posting one each facing Pakistan and West Indies in the VB Series. A 20 at the MCG for the tri-series opener has been his only relief in three months. "It probably is a little bit," Ponting said when asked if Symonds's form was a worry. "Not so much for me or the team, but he probably is a little bit worried about the way he's travelling or ... how few runs he has got."

Expecting Symonds to return to form, Ponting told him to "keep preparing the same way and it will eventually come for you". He added: "You can go to the nets and train and train and train and not have it do any good, and you go to games tired."

Ponting has had a busy month counselling out-of-form Queensland batsmen, with Matthew Hayden also struggling after a hectic international schedule. But Ponting believes Hayden's drought will be a short one. "When he gets into a bit of form and touch he's very hard to stop, and that's not too far away," he said.

Australia have made three changes for tomorrow night's game against West Indies at Adelaide Oval. Brad Hogg and Jason Gillespie will shuffle into the side for Shane Watson and Michael Kasprowicz, while Simon Katich is back for the resting Damien Martyn.

Australia Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting (capt), Darren Lehmann, Andrew Symonds, Simon Katich, Brad Haddin (wk), Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.