Simon Katich knows he has big shoes to fill.

Katich, who played in his sole ODI three years ago, has been added to Australia's 13-man squad for Thursday's tri-series cricket match against India in Sydney.

He came in for Matthew Hayden, being rested after hitting 109 off 107 balls in the 19-run loss to India in Brisbane.

Despite mounting pressure on out of sorts batsman Damien Martyn and speedster Brett Lee, Hayden was the only change in the squad as he took time off to overcome a niggling knee injury, opening the door for an in-form Katich.

In a worrying sign for Martyn, instead of naming a 13-man squad for Australia's next four fixtures before the tri-series finals as scheduled, the selectors opted to assess the team after each game in an extra incentive for Katich.

But the NSW left hander wasn't getting ahead of himself, even joining national selection chairman Trevor Hohns in defending Martyn.

"Marto is a fantastic player and I'm sure he will make runs," Katich told ABC Radio.

"From what Trevor has told me this is just the one match to give Matthew Hayden a break - I'm not looking any further than that.

"Every chance I've had this summer I've just tried to enjoy it and make the most of it and hopefully I can do that this week."

But Katich has learned not to rule out any possibilities after breaking into the Australian Test side this season.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP