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 and Shane Watson punish the Indian Board President's XI

CHANDIGARH, India: Simon Katich and Shane Watson underlined their importance to Australia's Test batting by posting centuries as the tourists marched to 1-319 on day one of the match against the Indian Board President's XI.

Prior middle-order collapses suggest Katich (104 retired) and Watson (115) will need to put on more substantial stands if the team is to be successful against India, and then during the quest for the Ashes.

Katich said he and Watson are intent on building bigger partnerships this summer, after not always capitalising on strong starts in their first 12 months together.

''We tried last summer and both of us were getting 80 or 90 and that was it, but definitely in this next period there's no doubt we'd really like to get some really big scores,'' Katich said.

''It will be tougher because we're playing better teams, but it certainly would be nice to get us off to 0-100, 0-150 and lay that platform.''

SA pace bowler Peter George was chosen for his first appearance in Australian colours after edging out the left-armer Mitchell Starc.