Cricket Australia's three-day batting camp starts on Tuesday afternoon at the MCG as Michael Clarke's men begin preparations for the Boxing Day Test.
Coach Mickey Arthur has invited skipper Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Brad Haddin, uncapped all-rounder Dan Christian and injured top-order players Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh to the camp.
Watson is expected to return to the team on December 26 after overcoming hamstring and calf strains, although the star all-rounder may be rested from bowling in the opening Test of the four-match series against India.
Marsh has a back problem and is facing a battle to prove he is fully fit for consideration for selection in the Test squad to be announced on Wednesday.
Arthur will use the camp to deeply analyse the batting techniques of Australia's players and their ability to handle swing bowling, according to a Fairfax report.
Arthur plans to simulate the bowling styles of the Indian quicks during the batting camp, with specific emphasis on the different deliveries sent down by Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.
"The only way you do that is to get the lines on bowling machines, get the ball swinging like they do," he said.
"You can set up the angles that they bowl from and that's probably the only way we can do that."
Australia batting coach Justin Langer will also play a key role in the three-day camp.
India coach Duncan Fletcher masterminded England's swing-led demolition of Australia's batting line-up in 2005.
Fletcher had worked as a consultant with the South Africa squad under head coach Arthur on the 2008/09 tour of Australia, when Arthur's Proteas inflicted Australia's first series defeat at home since 1992/93.
Former Zimbabwe one-day international captain Fletcher was appointed as India's coach in April 2011.
ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, india First posted December 20, 2011 13:38:45
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