Hussey - AP

HYDERABAD, India (AP):

Mike Hussey's unbeaten 54 helped Australia recover from a top-order slump to reach 191-4 at stumps on day two yesterday of the warm-up game against an Indian Cricket Board President's XI.

Hussey and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (34 not out) steered the tourists out of trouble in an unbroken 63-run fifth-wicket stand that moved the tourists to within 264 runs of the home team's total of 455.

Frustrated bowlers

The Board President's XI added 84 runs to the overnight total of 371-6, with Parthiv Patel (62) and Irfan Pathan (56) posting half-centuries to frustrate Australia's bowlers, for whom pace bowler Stuart Clarke (3-68) took two wickets yesterday.

The other wickets to fall yesterday were shared by fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson (4-74) and Peter Siddle (2-64).

Australia got off to a bad start as seam bowler Pathan (1-50) had Matthew Hayden (20) caught behind and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (1-44) dismissed the other opener Simon Katich (15). Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (2-46) then snared skipper Ricky Ponting (41) and his deputy Michael Clarke (18), reducing Australia to 128-4 before Hussey and Haddin got together to repair some damage.

Hussey struck one six and seven fours in countering the threat posed by spinners Chawla and Ojha, while Haddin's knock contained one six and five fours.

Australia's injured spinner Bryce McGain will return home before the test series against India due to a shoulder injury.

Selectors are yet to decide on McGain's replacement in the squad with Australia's spin bowling stocks very low after the closely grouped retirements of Shane Warne, Stuart McGill and Brad Hogg.

"Leg-spin bowler Bryce McGain will return to Australia after not recovering sufficiently from a right shoulder injury sustained during an Australia 'A' match in mid-September," Australia's team said in a statement issued yesterday.

Unavailable for selection

Physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said the decision to send McGain home was made as it became evident that he would not recover soon.

"Despite his workload being managed throughout the early stages of this tour, he suffered a setback at training on Tuesday in an attempt to be available for Australia's four-day match currently being played," Kountouris said in the statement. "As a result, it has been decided that Bryce will not be available for selection for the majority of the tour."