Australia allrounder Cameron Green has revealed he is "touch and go" for the first Test in India following finger surgery but he has allayed any doubts over his bowling availability in the IPL.
Green broke his right index finger during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Melbourne. He was able to bat in Australia's first innings with the fracture and made an unbeaten half-century but was ruled out of the Sydney Test after requiring surgery to repair the fracture.
Speaking on SEN WA in Perth on Wednesday night, Green revealed his recovery timeline will be tight ahead of Australia's first Test of a four-match series against India in Nagpur starting on February 9.
"I think me and Starcy [Mitchell Starc] are maybe touch and go for that first one but obviously we'll give ourselves the best chance," Green said.
"[It's] going well. Had successful surgery in Sydney and the surgeon is really happy with how it went. I think he did Tim Paine's successful surgery so it fills me with a lot of confidence.
"The rehab is having two weeks of time, then two weeks to start running and get the shoulder and back moving just to double-check they haven't frozen over. Then probably at the four-week mark I'll try and hold a ball and see how that works. Try and hold a cricket bat and see how it feels. At the moment [the finger] feels really good, pain-free, so that gives me a bit of confidence in four weeks time that it will be all good. We meet [as a team] over in Sydney for the Allan Border Medal [ceremony], then we leave the next day to go to India."
Starc is also recovering from a left hand middle-finger tendon injury that also occurred in the Melbourne Test and ruled him out of Sydney.
The Allan Border Medal ceremony will be held on January 30. The plan for Australia's Test squad was to have an optional three-day training camp ahead of the India tour in Sydney to coincide with the event. The squad will then travel to India and have seven days of centre-wicket practice before the first Test with no warm-up game.
That leaves Green with roughly ten days between holding a ball and bat for the first time and playing in the first Test in India, with two days lost to travel.
Green is set for a monster stint in India as he is likely to remain after the completion of the Test series to play in the IPL following Mumbai Indians' major purchase at the IPL auction.
There had been written correspondence sent to the IPL franchises on December 23 prior to the IPL auction stating that Green would be unavailable to bowl for four weeks following the conclusion of the fourth Test on March 13.
But Green was unaware of where that correspondence originated, stating that it was incorrect and that he would be available to bowl for Mumbai Indians from the start of the IPL.
"No, that's not correct," Green said.
"I've heard about this for quite a while now. I don't know where it's come from. We've spoken to the selectors.
"I've heard that I'm 100% available for both skill sets in the IPL at the start, so yeah, I'm not too sure where that's come from.
"Obviously my first priority is the Test series that's beforehand, getting myself right for the first Test."
Green was excited to be joining Mumbai Indians alongside three fellow West Australians in Tim David, Jhye Richardson and Jason Behrendorff.
"It's awesome," Green said.
"The Mumbai Indians feels a bit more like home than Australia. There's more people from WA playing in the Mumbai Indians than there are in the Australian team. I think it's the ideal situation that I hoped for to be in a really good team with great players around you and a great captain and a great coach and a great franchise, but obviously, having those four guys from WA is awesome."