Australia captain and selector Michael Clarke put himself through a searching fitness test but is yet to decide if he will lead the side in the Boxing Day clash with Sri Lanka.
Clarke suffered a hamstring injury during last week's first Test in Hobart but has made steady improvement in recent days, including batting and fielding sessions at the MCG on Tuesday.
"It's improving every day," Clarke told a media conference.
"I did a fair bit of running today in the indoor nets. A decision can't be made today.
"I really need to wait and see how I pull up tomorrow morning.
"I'm still pretty positive I'll be right for tomorrow.
"I haven't run at 100 per cent but I've certainly built up over the last three days."
Young batsman Usman Khawaja, who has been out of the side for a year, is on standby for Clarke.
Tasmania paceman Jackson Bird will make his debut in place of injured quick Ben Hilfenhaus while Mitchell Starc has been rested and his fellow left-armer Mitchell Johnson returns to the line-up.
Starc was crushed when told he would sit out the second Test after claiming 5-63 in Sri Lanka's second innings in the first Test in Hobart.
But Clarke has defended the decision to rest Starc, saying it is a reality of modern sport that could lengthen his playing career.
"We're making decisions on Mitchell playing a big part in the Australian team over the next 12 months," he said.
"We tour India, we have one-day cricket, we have Twenty20 cricket, we have Ashes home and away, Champions Trophy.
"It's not a decision made on just this one Test match."
Starc is likely to return for the Sydney Test on January 3.
Australia leads the three-match series 1-0.
Sri Lanka has not won a single test on Australian soil, and captain Mahela Jayawardene says winning a Test in the current series would mean a lot.
"If we do that, it won't be for me personally but for the entire team and for the entire country it would be something good, and it would be for the next generation to look at," he said.
Sri Lanka will make a late call on playing pacer Nuwan Kulasekara, who was hit in the rib while batting in the Hobart Test which the visitors lost by 137 runs.
"We want to give him another chance to bowl today and see whether he's 100 per cent and we'll make a call on that probably tomorrow morning," Jayawardene said.
"The one to come would be Dhammika Prasad if he's not 100 per cent.
"We're quite confident with the bowlers that we have."
But Jayawardene says the team's batting line-up is the key to their hopes of victory.
"We've got the experience. We've got the talent," he said.
"We just need to go out and produce the goods."
Likely Australia team: Michael Clarke (capt), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird. (Note: Usman Khawaja is on standby for Clarke.)
AAP
Tags: cricket, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted December 25, 2012 11:57:05
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