MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia captain Ricky Ponting tested out his broken finger during fielding and throwing drills yesterday and said he was hopeful of playing the fourth Ashes test against England ‘pain-free’.
Ponting broke his little finger during a catch attempt in the slips in the third test in Perth and did not take the field on the fourth and final day as Australia completed a 267-run victory to level the five-test series 1-1.
The 36-year-old captain appeared to have little difficulty during the fielding session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but elected not to take the crease in the nets.