KEY POINTS:
The Indian Board wants the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hear Harbhajan Singh's appeal against a ban for alleged racial abuse before the one-day series in Australia starts on February 3.
The ICC has appointed New Zealand High Court Judge John Hansen as appeals commissioner but has yet to set a date. The appeal should be heard within a week of the commissioner being appointed, although it can be extended.
"As per the rules, a decision has to be taken within seven days," BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) president Sharad Pawar said. "Our desire is to get a hearing before the one-day series [which also involves Sri Lanka] starts. I'm confident of justice being done."
The Indian board has threatened to pull out of the tour unless the off-spinner, banned for three tests by ICC match referee Mike Procter after last week's second test in Sydney, is exonerated. The incident involving Harbhajan almost led to India abandoning the tour before the ICC removed West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor for this week's test in Perth.
The Indian board and its players have denied Harbhajan made a racist jibe. He was found guilty by Procter of calling Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a monkey.
Meanwhile, India had most of a full day of batting in preparation for Perth after the ACT XI declared yesterday on their overnight score of eight for 292. India held a first-innings lead of 33 over the locals after making nine for 325 declared on day one of the three-day game at Manuka Oval, which finished yesterday.
India were 281 for four wickets in their second innings when they delcared at tea, with Virender Sehwag top-scoring and fellow opener 22-year-old Dinesh Karthik falling on 97. Their opening partnership was worth 158 before Sehwag was out. However Yuvraj Singh was again cheaply dismissed, for 3.
Recalled England opener Andrew Strauss has cast a critical eye over New Zealand's bowling attack and predicts his fellow batsmen will have little to fear in the upcoming test series.
Strauss, who is playing domestic cricket for Northern Districts before the two-month tour starts in February, said the likely absence of Shane Bond ensured the tourists would be more relaxed.
Bond's availability has not yet been clarified but, having signed for the rebel Indian Cricket League Twenty20 competition, he is unlikely to be selected.
The likes of Chris Martin and Kyle Mills did not have the same menace with the new ball and the remainder of the attack was well-known to the English, said Strauss.
Dumped from the test side to tour Sri Lanka last year, Strauss makes his debut for ND in a State Shield match against Otago in Hamilton today. He has scored 3223 test runs at an average of 40.79 and said his cameo with ND was the ideal way to get acquainted with New Zealand conditions.
