Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson to be rested ahead of Ashes

Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson will all be rested from the three one day matches that follow the current Test series against India.

The duo are arguably Australia's three most valuable players, and they will fly home following the conclusion of the second Test against India at Bangalore in order to freshen up ahead of the Ashes series at home. 

This will also give them maximum time to get used to home conditions again after the jolt of Indian climes. 

"The NSP has decided as part of the ongoing management of Ricky's workload he should not take part in this series. The demands of back-to-back Test matches in tough Indian conditions have been taken into consideration,'' said chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch. 

Queensland's James Hopes and New South Wales' Steve Smith will vie for the allrounder's spot, and big-hitting opening batsman David Warner makes a return to the one-day squad. 

The three-ODI series is from October 17-24.

Squad: 

Michael Clarke (capt), 

Cameron White 

Doug Bollinger 

Callum Ferguson 

Nathan Hauritz 

James Hopes 

Mike Hussey 

Shaun Marsh 

Clint McKay

Tim Paine (wk) 

James Pattinson

Steve Smith 

Mitchell Starc 

David Warner

Hauritz faces his biggest test in India

Nathan Hauritz is preparing for the greatest challenge of his career as he gets ready to face Sachin Tendulkar and his batting colleagues at home early next month. The Australians fly out on Sunday for the two-Test series in India and Hauritz said he was not daunted by the prospect of leading Australia's spin attack.

"I'd say so definitely," Hauritz told AAP. "Playing against India in India in those conditions. The wickets where we are playing are not normally the traditional spin-friendly ones, but Tendulkar and those sort of guys, it will be a great challenge."

The first Test is in Mohali starting on October 1, before the teams move to Bangalore to complete the short series. Hauritz has not played since June due to a foot injury but he has the support of the captain Ricky Ponting to remain the first-choice spinner ahead of Steven Smith, who debuted in England.

"I'm going to have my individual plans against those guys and if they don't work I've definitely got plan B and plan C to go from there. It can be quite tough to bowl over there because the wickets can be very good to bat on and the outfield can be very fast."

Simon Katich goes on attack

AUSTRALIA will field six batsmen, a wicketkeeper, three fast bowlers and four spinners in the first Test against India. And get away with it.

Fourteen doesn't go into 11, but Simon Katich and Michael Clarke have spent the off-season priming themselves for spin-bowling duties on the subcontinent, tipping team balance a long way in Australia's favour for the next week's series opener for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It is no small development because Katich and Clarke also have an enormous amount to offer Australia's attack for the Ashes series.

Katich, 35, has used the eight-week break since Australia's Test series against Pakistan to overcome shoulder problems and return to bowling his chinamen regularly in the SCG nets.

"I think more people get enjoyment out of watching me bowl than bat," Katich said yesterday, laughing

Having Katich and Clarke - who have best Test returns of 6-65 and 6-9 respectively - alongside specialist spinner Nathan Hauritz and off-spinning batsman Marcus North gives Australia a tremendously varied slow attack for the two-Test series against India, the Ashes and the World Cup.