MELBOURNE, Dec 25: Australian captain Michael Clarke put himself through a tough fitness test on Tuesday but has not decided whether he will lead his side in Wednesday’s second Test against Sri Lanka.

Clarke suffered a hamstring injury during last week’s 137-run win by Australia in the first Test and has made steady improvement in recent days, including batting and fielding sessions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Christmas Day.

“It’s improving every day ... but a decision can’t be made today,” Clarke said. “I’m still pretty positive I’ll be right for tomorrow. I haven’t run at a 100 percent but I’ve certainly built up over the last three days.”

Batsman Usman Khawaja, who has been out of the Australia side for a year, is on standby for Clarke although coach Mickey Arthur was leaning towards the skipper taking the field in front of a huge crowd at the MCG.

“If I was a betting man I’d bet on Michael Clarke leading the team out on Boxing Day,” he said.

“We’ve got to be mindful as well, much like the Mitchell Starc decision, as to the amount of important cricket we’ve got coming up.”

Paceman Jackson Bird will make his debut in place of injured quick Ben Hilfenhaus, while Starc has been rested and his fellow left-armer Mitchell Johnson returns to the line-up.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said he is expecting some repercussions at the MCG amid ongoing tensions over ball-tampering accusations made against Australia’s Peter Siddle.

Sri Lanka made an unofficial complaint to International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad during the first Test in Hobart last week. Although the allegation was dismissed, Siddle said later he was upset because his name had been mentioned critically in social media following the complaint.

The last time Sri Lanka played a test at the MCG in 1995, spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was no-balled seven times in three overs for throwing.

“We have been through a lot of hostile things in the past ... 1995 was one and even after that,” Jayawardene said. “I don’t think that fazes our team. It might give us something extra.

“You have to remember there will be a good partisan Sri Lankan crowd, as well, so that will be good. It might go against him (Siddle). We can’t control what happens out there. A lot of the younger guys probably won’t even understand what the crowd’s going to tell them.”

Sri Lanka have not won a single Test on Australian soil and Jayawardene wants to break that spell before relinquishing captaincy after the ongoing series.

“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.”

Sri Lanka will make a late call on playing pacer Nuwan Kulasekara, who was hit in the rib while batting in the Hobart Test.

Probable teams:

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird. (Usman Khawaja is on standby for Clarke).

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara,, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Chanaka Welegedara.—AP