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Watson to return to India after serving ban

Last updated on: March 18, 2013 09:30 IST

Australia's vice-captain, Shane Watson will join the team ahead of the fourth and final Test against India, starting in Delhi from March 22.

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"Shane Watson will return to the Tour of India and will fly out of Sydney tonight to join the Australian squad in India ahead of the fourth Test," Cricket Australia said in a media release on Monday.

Watson was one of the four players controversially stood out from the rain-washed third Test at Mohali for disciplinary breach after which he left for Australia to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

Australia have struggled in the series

Last updated on: March 18, 2013 09:30 IST

Australia have struggled in the series so far, losing the first two Tests and are also battling to save the third Test at start on Day 5.

Captain Michael Clarke has been laid low with a sore back and was forced to drop himself in the batting order.

Watson had reacted strongly to his dropping

Last updated on: March 18, 2013 09:30 IST

Watson had reacted strongly to his dropping from the Mohali Test and said he was "absolutely shattered" at being dropped and will have to weigh his future in Tests now.

"Any time you're suspended for a Test match unless you do something unbelievably wrong, and obviously everyone knows what those rules are -- I think it is very harsh," Watson was quoted as saying by the Australian media.

Shane Watson, "I'm at a stage where I'm sort of weighing up my future and what I want to do with my cricket in general to be honest.

Watson, fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson and back-up batsman Usman Khawaja were axed from the team for failing to make a presentation on how to improve their personal as well as the team's performance after the heavy defeat in the second Test in Hyderabad.