A report from the overflowing casualty ward: Darren Lehmann is hanging in there, Harbhajan Singh is on the mend, Sourav Ganguly is 50-50 for the next Test and Ricky Ponting is batting up a storm in the nets.

Lehmann, whose physical activity on Thursday amounted to walking laps of the VCA Ground with a Sherrin football in his hands, was clinging to the hope he would somehow recover from his torn right hamstring in time for next weeks's fourth Test at Mumbai.

"I'm feeling pretty good," said Lehmann.

"I'm improving all the time and I haven't given up hope of being right for the fourth Test. I'm working with (physiotherapist) Errol Alcott throughout the course of each day to see what I can do. It's obviously a minor setback, that's for sure.

"But I'm looking forward to getting the hammy right and playing more cricket. Hopefully it will be in the fourth Test but if not I will concentrate on getting myself right for the home summer."

Alcott indicated after day one of the Nagpur Test that Lehmann was highly unlikely to be available for the fourth Test at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, which starts next Wednesday.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting had a long net session on Thursday morning as his recovery from a broken thumb gathered momentum, stroking one powerful drive after another.

He is a strong chance of playing next week, being a direct replacement for Lehmann.

Meanwhile, Singh is regarded as a certainty to recover from his virus for the last match of the series but Ganguly, the Indian captain, is thought to be only a 50-50 chance to overcome his thigh strain, according to an AFP report.

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