Shane Warne will finally make his comeback official on Tuesday

Melbourne, December 31: Australia's Shane Warne will make his long-awaited return to first class cricket on Tuesday when Victoria meet Western Australia in a Mercantile Mutual Cup match in Perth. Warne, who has been sidelined since breaking the spinning finger on his right hand against New South Wales in late October, was given the all-clear to resume following a training session in Melbourne on Saturday.

And he will be joined in the Vics' one-day line-up by Test paceman Damien Fleming, who has been sidelined for five weeks with a neck injury. However, both of them are still far from certain of playing in the four-day Pura Cup match against Western Australia, which begins in Perth on Thursday.

Victorian chairman of selectors Shaun Graf said a decision on a return to first-class cricket for Warne and Fleming would depend on how they recover from the one-day match. "If they have no soreness and they feel as if they are strong enough to get through a four-day game, then we will make a decision from there," Graf said.

"They are both in good nick. Damien Fleming is feeling really good and Warne is as confident as I've seen him for a long time.

"He's really happy with the way his finger has pulled up and he hasn't got any soreness at this stage." Warne, who has taken 366 wickets in 84 Tests, is keen to play before the Australian squad to tour India in February-March is named.

 Stuart MacGill to battle with Shane Warne for Indian tour spot

Sydney, December 31: There will be a battle within a battle in Tuesday's fifth Test as Stuart MacGill tries to cement his Test position before the impending return of leg spinning rival Shane Warne.

MacGill has to perform against the West Indies in the fifth Sydney Test to prove his credentials when the Australian touring team heads to the turning wickets of India on February 13.

Selectors haven't yet decided whether to take two or three spinners to India but off spinner Colin Miller appears the only certain selection at this stage following his outstanding summer, culminating with his 10 wickets in the third Adelaide Test.

That could leave MacGill and Warne in a race for selection, with Warne set to return to state cricket with Victoria on Tuesday after recovering from a broken finger, which kept him out of the current Test series against the West Indies.

From next week, Australian players will not have any first-class cricket available to them before the touring squad is selected for India. They will have to push their claims in one-day matches, with Warne hoping to squeeze back into the Australian squad for the triangular series against the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

But MacGill could have the golden chance to perform in the Sydney Test against the tourists who have yet to prove they can handle Australia's spinners. MacGill was relegated to 12th man in the fourth Test but he shapes as a likely starter in Sydney at the expense of paceman Andrew Bichel if the SCG wicket lives up to its early promise to assist spinners.

MacGill took 12-107 in his last Test appearance in Sydney against England two years ago and another hefty haul would certainly help his cause to push ahead of Warne for India and the prized 2001 Ashes tour to England.

But national chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said it was too early to speculate on the tours until Warne - Australia's greatest Test wicket-taker - returned from injury. "That's all in the future because Shane has to get some cricket under his belt," Hohns said Sunday.

"We're obviously going to take more than 12 (players) to India for the Tests and it's fair to say there will be a couple of spots up for grabs.

"We've got a fair idea of the type of player required for India and the type of player who can perform there."

MacGill and Warne both made the last Indian tour along with off spinner Gavin Robertson, who played in all three Tests.

Selectors will have plenty to consider this summer with Indian captain Sourav Ganguly already declaring the Test wickets will take plenty of spin when the Indians try to end Australia's remarkable winning streak, now at 14 Tests.

The world-record streak should extend to 15 when Australia administers the last rites in the Sydney Test to the hapless West Indies after thrashing them by 352 runs in Melbourne.  

 Marsh to assist Wright before Aussie tour

Mumbai, December 20: Former Aussie opening batsman Geoff Marsh who is the newly appointed cricket consultant would be assisting India's first foreign coach John Wright during the conditioning camp before the Australian tour of India in February next.

"Right now I am gathering information about domestic cricket in India and I would be assisting John (Wright) during the conditioning camp prior to the Australian series as well," Marsh said.

"My immediate plan is to watch some more junior cricket and submit a report to the Indian cricket board on December 22 before I go home for Christmas. However, I will be back here to assist the Indian coach and prepare the hosts for the big Test against the formidable Aussies," he said.

"Some coaches feel that they have to say something when they see their trainees playing which at times upsets the mind frame of a boy and demoralize him. The coach should be able to make minor adjustments to the existing style and technique," he added.

Marsh, who is in touch with former Test cricketers like Dilip Vengsarkar and Hanumant Singh, was all praise for the National Cricket Academy at Bangalore. "The NCA is an 'A' grade one and it is good to know that BCCI is planning to start four more," he added.

Marsh, who resigned as the Australian team coach recently to take up the consultant job with BCCI, said the essence of coaching was to let the wards play their natural game and not kill the talent by changing their style and technique.