Ponting wary of India's home comforts

Ricky Ponting knows India will be a much tougher proposition at home than during the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa

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Australia captain Ricky Ponting has urged his players to disregard India's unimpressive ICC Champions Trophy form, warning the second-ranked one-day outfit will be a vastly different team on home soil.

A rejuvenated Ponting, who revealed he has not touched a bat in 10 days, left Sydney airport yesterday evening ahead of his side's seven-match ODI series against India beginning on Sunday in Vadodara.

"They'll be particularly hard to beat in India - they always are," Ponting said.

"They definitely play a lot better at home than they do when they travel. I actually tipped them as one of the strongest sides for the Champions Trophy to tell the truth.

"The game against us, which was a washout, was shaping up as being a terrific game of one-day cricket and that was something that probably cost India along the way. But that's tournament play - those things can happen.

"I noticed that they've made a few changes to their squad as well for the games against us and we'll obviously be missing Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken again, and (Callum) Ferguson being out as well means the younger guys will get an opportunity to step up again."

Ponting believes Ferguson's absence with a serious knee injury will be a significant loss but he is confident the remaining members of the middle order can fill the void.

The skipper is also hopeful his deputy Michael Clarke can overcome a nagging back complaint in time to join the squad later in the series.

"I know that he's been, and certainly the medical team have been hoping that he'll be, on the improve sooner rather than later. So hopefully he is fit to join the squad as soon as possible," he said.

"He's the number four batsman in the side and the vice-captain of the team and one of the more experienced players that actually handles Indian conditions very well, so we'll keep our fingers crossed."

Ponting, meanwhile, admits he is spoilt for choice at the top of the order following the return of opening batsman Shaun Marsh from a hamstring injury.

Marsh's comeback leaves selectors with a tough decision following the emergence of Tim Paine, who excelled in the NatWest Series against England and performed adequately during the Champions Trophy.

Opener Shaun Marsh's return from injury gives Ponting a top-order selection poser

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"Paine coming in has had a fair bit of success at the top of the order and probably given himself every opportunity to remain there," Ponting observed.

"But if you go back six or seven months Shaun was one of the up-and-coming batsman in our team and someone that's got a very good record at the top of the order for us.

"So we've got some tough decisions to make there but whichever way we go we know we've got very good depth in our batting, so hopefully we get it right on the morning of the first game."

Meanwhile, Ponting backed new call-up Jon Holland to make a lasting impression on the upcoming tour.

Off-spinner Holland was a shock selection, the selectors taking a gamble with the future in mind despite the 22-year-old's modest domestic record.

Ponting has never met Holland but faced him in the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets prior to last year's Boxing Day Test and has heard solid reviews on the cricket grapevine.

"I've seen about 20 minutes of him bowling to me in the nets leading up to the Boxing Day Test last year so that's about as much as I've seen of Jon," Ponting said shortly before joining the squad in India.

"He gets good wraps from all the other Victorian guys and just speaking to a guy that plays club cricket with him at Carlton on the weekend as well, everyone believes that he's got a great future.

"It's great to have another young guy around the group and especially a young spinner making the tour to India.

"I think you can't help but learn over there when you bowl in those conditions and bowl to better players like he will be bowling to all the Australian batsmen over the next few weeks and he might even get an opportunity to bowl at some very good players of spin in the Indian batsmen as well.

"There's some great opportunities that lie ahead for Jon and I'm looking forward to spending some time with him over the next few weeks."

While Holland's international career is taking off, a player nearing the end is also exciting Ponting.

Paceman Brett Lee is returning to his best in limited overs cricket after injury sidelined him during the Ashes tour.

Brett Lee's outstanding form since his recovery from a side strain has been a major boost for Australia's one-day side

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He has boldly declared a desire to win back his spot as the spearhead of Australia's Test bowling attack despite younger rivals Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle getting the jump on him.

"He obviously was frustrated with the way the Ashes series turned out for him breaking down before the first game and then not getting his bowling fitness where it needed to be to take part in that series," Ponting said of Lee.

"But I thought his form through the one-dayers in England was particularly good and then it carried on through the Champions Trophy, so things are heading in the right direction for him most definitely.

"He's been bowling fast for the last few months."