THERE's a red hot tip floating around India from mid-day trackwork in Bangalore. Say it quietly . . . Brett Lee.
Since being left out of Australia's first Test team the word around the traps has been that fast bowler Lee has been training harder than ever before and his pace in the nets is starting to make batsmen jump again.
Fitness trainer Jock Campbell is tipping he will again reach around 160km/h, his life's quickest work. But his only recent public form has been at the Bangalore races.
During the first Test the team was based across the road from the Bangalore Turf Club and the lack of running areas around the city prompted Campbell to ring the racecourse and ask whether Lee and a couple of other players could have a run on the course proper.
Like all other facets of this cricket-mad society, the Bangalore committee were eager to please the Australians so trackwork was suspended for an hour while Lee did three laps.
"Can you imagine it happening at Randwick racecourse?" Lee said. "It was quite weird, you could get Jock to ring up and they could stop trackwork for an hour so we could train. The course was 2km long so we did three laps in the midday heat which was really good."
Lee is looking trim and has impressed tour management by the way he has thrown himself into being ready for the call that may never come.
Australia is highly satisfied with the efforts of pace trio Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz and Glenn McGrath and it would seem only an injury will force a change in the last two Tests.
The harsh reality for Lee is that he may never play a Test in India. This was his first tour here. The next one is in 2010.
"I am in pretty good spirits. I am not going to make any secrets I would rather be out there playing with the boys," Lee said. "We have a huge summer ahead, including two more Tests here, so I am pushing for selection.
"Having Shane Watson with us is great because his work ethic is outstanding. He's the guy I have been training with all that time. It has given me that six-week period to get really fit.
"That's the positive thing I am looking at. For the first time in a long time I have been able to do a pre-season after being injured."
- PETER LALOR