Ponting keeps options open

Darren Lehmann may have offered to give up his place, but Ricky Ponting is not ready to say as yet who will be dropped on his return.

Darren Lehmann may have offered to give up his place in the larger interest of the team, but captain Ricky Ponting is not ready to announce as yet whose head will roll when he eventually comes back from injury.

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"There is going to be an unlucky batsman when I eventually do come back, and we don't know which one it is yet," said Ponting, who has also been ruled out of the third Test against India in Nagpur after missing the first two.

Ponting felt that Lehmann's comments that he was prepared to step down for Michael Clarke came a little too early.

"That was what was mystifying about what Darren said — there was no certainty that I was going to be back so he has made his statements about a week and a half too early."

However, he admitted the decision, if it had to be taken, would be "very difficult".

Ponting revealed on Thursday that the broken bones in his left thumb needed more time to knit and he was not certain of playing even in the fourth and final Test, starting on November 3 in Mumbai.

"All going to plan, I should be right to play the fourth Test match, but I still don't have a departure date and we won't know until further X-rays are taken next week."

Ponting admitted that it was difficult to watch the first Test on television. "The guys played some fantastic cricket. It was hard to watch, harder still, I guess, to watch the last wicket fall on the final day."

The Australian skipper had fractured his left thumb while fielding during his team's six-wicket loss to England in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.