MELBOURNE: Australia captain Michael Clarke retains a chance of playing in next week’s first Test against India but must prove his fitness with a positive training session, coach Darren Lehmann said on Friday.

Clarke has struggled with a third hamstring injury in three months, with his latest rehabilitation disrupted by the tragic death of team-mate Phillip Hughes.

Lehmann said Clarke would join the squad in Adelaide later on Friday, and would be back in training the following day.

“As long as he’s fine to do the running and can bat (he’ll play),” Lehmann told reporters in Adelaide. “We’ll get him batting tomorrow and see how he goes. It’ll be case of if he’s fine, he’ll play. We’ll just have to wait and see.

“We’ll be guided by medical staff, the captain himself, selectors. We’ll get together and assess what the plan is tomorrow.”

Following Hughes’ funeral in his home-town of Macksville, New South Wales on Wednesday, 33-year-old Clarke stayed with the family for a private cremation on Thursday.

Lehmann wrote in a newspaper column that grieving players would be granted leave to miss the first Test of the four-match series if they did not feel up to it.

He told reporters there were contingencies in place if anyone dropped out, but was tight-lipped about them.

“Only time will tell but I’m sure they will be fine,” he said. “They are looking forward to getting out there and playing cricket.”

Hughes died in hospital two days after being severely injured by a short-pitched delivery, prompting a debate about whether they should be banned or limited further.

Lehmann said he fully expected players in the first Test, starting on Tuesday, to face a bouncer at some stage.

“It is a case of getting back to what they want to do and that’s playing cricket,” he stated.

Published in Dawn December 6th , 2014