Symonds out, McGain in for India

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Andrew Symonds will not play Australia's Tests in India while the incumbent slow bowler Beau Casson has also been overlooked in favour of the uncapped 36-year-old legspinner Bryce McGain. Shane Watson returns to the Test frame and the bowlers Jason Krejza and Peter Siddle are hoping for debuts after joining a 15-man squad with several changes to the group that visited the West Indies this year, reports Cricinfo.
Australia are pleased with Ricky Ponting's recovery from wrist surgery and Matthew Hayden, while chosen subject to completely overcoming his ongoing heel injury, is expected to play. One of the biggest question marks was over Symonds, who has averaged 77.70 in Tests in the past 12 months. He was also one of the central figures in the heated home series against India earlier this year, when he was involved in a racism row with Harbhajan Singh.
It was widely expected that Symonds would struggle to be in contention having been sent home from Darwin only a fortnight ago due to the team's frustration with his attitude. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Symonds was now going through a process managed by Cricket Australia to give him the chance to decide on his future.
"Cricket Australia has told us that selectors will be advised once Andrew can be considered again for selection and we hope we can look forward to that advice in due course because as we all know, a fit and fully-committed Andrew Symonds can be a world beater," Hilditch said. "In the meantime, our advice was that he was not available to be considered for selection this time."
Squad: M Hayden, Phil Jaques, R Ponting (capt), M Hussey, M Clarke, Simon, S Watson, B Haddin (wk), B Lee, Jason Krejza, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Bryce McGain, Clark, Doug Bollinger.