India captain Sourav Ganguly leaves for Melbourne on Tuesday to do a commercial shoot and also inspect the Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket.

Ganguly said he is travelling to Melbourne to shoot for an advertisement of the Sahara group, the chief sponsors of Team India.

He refused to call the trip a pre-tour recce, but admitted that "because I'll be in Melbourne for a few days, I'll take a look at the MCG wicket".

That will be an effort in his individual capacity and wouldn't form part of any briefing from the Indian cricket Board.

Ganguly will be back before the national camp, in Bangalore, starts on August 14.

India play Victoria at the MCG in its tour-opener, the third Test and the first final of a tri-nation tourney. The tour begins end-November.

Ganguly was keen on a recce to Australia before the tour and is still hoping it will come about later.

Earlier, reports said Board of Control for Cricket in India chief Jagmohan Dalmiya had inquired with Ganguly whether he wanted to make a pre-tour recce to Australia. Though Ganguly showed interest, the Board surprisingly fell silent on the issue.