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Michael Clarke’s first Test hopes fading fast

Reports suggest Aussie skipper could be ruled out of Border-Gavaskar Series opener today

Australia seems likely to enter the summer's first Test against India without their best-credentialed batsman and on-field leader amid reports that captain Michael Clarke will not play in the series opener due to injury.

While no formal announcement on Clarke's availability has been made, reports published by News Corp claim that Clarke has been ruled out of all cricket for the next week which means he will not have an opportunity to prove his fitness for the Commonwealth Bank Test starting December 4.

The reports suggested that a formal announcement may come later today.

Clarke has been battling to overcome a recurrence of the back-related injury to his left hamstring that he sustained in the opening game of the Carlton Mid ODI Series against South Africa in Perth almost a fortnight ago.

While the 33-year-old indicated yesterday he hoped to prove his fitness by playing for his Sydney grade club Western Suburbs in the second day of their two-day match against Parramatta this weekend, Cricket Australia set out a more rigorous program for their skipper.

As Chair of the National Selection Panel Rod Marsh said yesterday and CA reiterated last night, Clarke would be required to play for a CA XI in a two-day match against the touring Indians in Adelaide beginning on Friday if he was to show he was fit for Test match duty.

The selectors claimed they needed to see Clarke, who has a history of back problems that are increasingly causing hamstring injuries, get through consecutive days of competitive cricket rather than an isolated grade appearance to show he was able to withstand the rigours of a five-day Test.

In a statement released last night, CA also made it clear that should Clarke be unable to take his place in the India tour game then he would be automatically ruled out of all cricket up to and including the first Commonwealth Bank Test starting at the Gabba in Brisbane.

"A final decision on his fitness has not yet been determined and he has not yet been ruled out of the tour match by the CA medical team," the statement said.

"Should Michael play the tour match and recover well, the selectors have said he will take his place in the Test side.

"If he is not able to get up for the CA XI game, and given his history with this recurring injury, he will be ruled out of any cricket this week and the first Test and our focus will shift to getting him fit to play the second Test in Adelaide commencing on Friday 12 December."

If Clarke is formally ruled out of the Test today, it ensures the round of Bupa Sheffield Shield matches that began today take on extra significance for a number of batsmen looking to push their claims for a Test berth.

Among the leading candidates are those with Test experience - Phil Hughes, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell and Alex Doolan – as well as uncapped Callum Ferguson, Joe Burns and Peter Handscomb.

While any recommendation on who should captain the Test team in Clarke's absence will be made by the selectors and needs to be ratified by the CA Board, it is widely anticipated that vice-captain and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin would become the nation's 45th Test skipper if the incumbent is absent.

Even though he has been battling to overcome a shoulder injury sustained during the recent Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, Haddin has been passed to fit to lead the NSW Blues in the Bupa Sheffield Shield match against the West End Redbacks starting today in Sydney.

And the 37-year-old believes he is ready to take on the most high-profile job in Australian sport should he be granted the chance to lead his team on to the Gabba next week.

"(The captaincy is) not something I've thought about, until I get the call that Michael can't play," Haddin said yesterday.

"I'm a real good vice-captain. I don't know about captain.

"(But) if the time comes and that's the decision they decide to go with, I'm comfortable ... I can lead a cricket team."