BRETT Lee's place in the Australia's first Test team was up in the air tonight after the fast bowler was taken to hospital for scans on an injured ankle.
Lee broke down in his fourth over on the final morning of the tour match against a President's XI at the Colombo Cricket Club and was taken to hospital for scans to determine the cause of ankle pain.
The scans showed no structural damage to the joint but Lee was still in pain late in the day.
While Lee's place in the team for the first Test in Galle starting on Monday was in jeopardy, there was some relief as Shane Warne proved he was fit and ready for a long stint at the crease in what will be his first Test in 15 months.
Warne finished with 2-79 off 23 overs while fellow legspinner Stuart MacGill cleaned up the tail to finish with 3-57 off 11 overs.
Lee's injury is to the same left ankle which was operated on to remove bone spurs last year.
The fast bowler hobbled from the field after bowling only 3.4 overs, having just claimed a wicket, and Darren Lehmann had to finish his remaining two balls.
Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouri will monitor the injury over the next few days but as yet a diagnosis hasn't been made.
Kountouri said Lee felt stiff and sore after Wednesday's bowling stint and after feeling some soreness in the ankle today left the field.
"We agreed it was in his best interest to bring him off the ground," Kountouri said.
"Over the next day or so we'll continue to ice the ankle, investigate the problem further before having another look at him over the weekend."
With Australia travelling by bus to Galle tomorrow in preparation for Monday's first Test, Lee doesn't have much time to recover if the injury proves more serious than first thought.
Kountouri said that as long as Lee was pain-free on Monday he would be cleared to play.
While Lee was taken for scans his team-mates battled for wickets on a hot afternoon before the President's XI was eventually rolled for 323 in 85.2 overs as Australia won the match by 245 runs.
Australia used eight bowlers on a dead wicket, with only wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe, captain Ricky Ponting and opener Justin Langer spared.
International batsman Thilan Samaraweera had an excellent workout for the first Test when he made an even 50 and featured in a stand of 101 for the fifth wicket with wicketkeeper Lanka de Silva.
Samaraweera, a rising Test star who averages 67 with the bat, spent two hours getting his eye in against Australia's best spinners.
He was eventually dismissed from the first ball of Michael Kasprowicz's second spell, edging to first slip where Warne took a good catch.
Wicketkeeper Lanka De Silva made 92 before he was brilliantly caught at short cover by Justin Langer off Lehmann's bowling.
Warne and MacGill were largely ineffective after the lunch break, but of more interest to the Australian selectors is the fact Warne was able to bowl two spells of 15 and eight overs without tiring.
Ponting also gave Katich and Symonds a chance to press their bowling claims as they duel for Test selection.
Neither made an impact, Katich taking 0-38 from eight overs while Symonds took the last wicket to finish with 1-27.
- MICHAEL DONALDSON