Melbourne: 

UNDER FIRE: Andrew Symonds, who is out of the Australian team on discipline grounds

Australia pacer Stuart Clark has dismissed India coach Gary Kirsten's recent comment that all-rounder Andrew Symonds' likely absence from next month's four-Test series would ease tension between the two sides.
"People still love to see him playing cricket and people love playing against him and competing against him, because he is that type of person," Clark was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'.

Kirsten yesterday insisted that absence of the volatile all-rounder might help in reducing the tension in the upcoming series. Off late, Symonds has had a stormy relation with both Indian players and crowds. Booed and barracked in India, he and Harbhajan Singh were the main architects of racism row during India's Australia tour last summer.

"It's tough one because Symonds is such a larger than life character. I wouldn't have thought so," Clark said.
Clark insisted off the field there is very little tension between the Indian and Australian cricketers. "I've said all along it's media thing. The sides get on well. There will be a little bit of competitiveness, which I hope is any game of cricket or any sporting match between two countries. I wouldn't have thought there'd be too much niggle as far as the nasty stuff," he said.

Clarke takes bowling tips from Warne

DARWIN: As the Australians prepare for the upcoming tour of India, Michael Clarke is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to help his team maintain their supremacy. Clarke has been taking tips on improving his left-arm spin from none another than Shane Warne, according to a report on Cricinfo website.
 
"I spent four days in Melbourne with Warney before coming here and did a lot of talking and going through a few field placements for my type of bowling, which I found really helpful," he said. "I'll be on the phone to him continuously and then I'll be trying to use India to prepare to bowl a few overs," said Clarke.