BASSETERRE St.Kitts - Ricky Ponting is almost certain to take his place in the Boxing Day Test after batting without any obvious discomfort in the nets at the MCG. Ponting faced a bowling machine, throw downs, and then a group of young net bowlers as he aimed to prove that he can lead Australia on Sunday, despite breaking the little finger on his left hand during the victory in Perth.

It will be a different challenge facing the likes of James Anderson and Chris Tremlett, but Ponting had little trouble against the net bowlers, pulling and driving without hindrance. Usman Khawaja, the New South Wales batsman, was at training on Thursday but is not likely to be required, although Ponting's finger has not healed enough for him to field in the cordon during the Test.

"He said it felt pretty good after facing some balls on the machines and facing the bowlers," the vice-captain Michael Clarke said. "We're all hopeful and confident. Unless they cut his finger off, it's going to be really hard to leave Punter out. He's going to have to wait until tomorrow to see how it pulls up after having a bat today. But he's pretty happy with how things went today.

"Ricky definitely won't field in slips. He'll probably field at mid-off or mid-on. As long as you're pretty close to seeing the line which the bowlers are bowling, it's probably better for the bowlers that Punt's there to be able to talk to them as well. He has fielded there plenty of times in one-day cricket so I don't think it makes much difference."