Apart from his duties at the top of the batting order, Michael Clarke is getting ready to do his bit with the ball as well when Australia tours India next month.
Clarke spent sometime in Melbourne, taking tips from leg-spin legend Shane Warne before going to Darwin for the three-match One-day series against minnows Bangladesh.
''I spent four days in Melbourne with Warney before going to Darwin,'' Clarke was quoted as saying by the local media.
''We did a lot of talking and going through a few field placements for my type of bowling, which I found really helpful.''
''I'll be on the phone with him continuously and then I'll be trying to prepare to bowl a few overs. I hope I do get a bowl (in India). I see my part-timers as having some sort of role to play over there,'' he added.
Clarke's spin could be even more valuable for the Aussies if volatile all-rounder Andrew Symonds fails to board the plane to India.
''I've always been serious about my bowling,'' he said. ''The one thing I've always made clear to the world is I believe I'm a batsman who bowls. I'm a part-time bowler and I'm not going to try to be a frontline bowler, but there's a role for me to play as that part-time bowler.''
The 27-year-old Australian vice-captain feels his team has still got plenty of time to prepare and will get back into the groove before leaving for India on September 21.
''We're still going to have enough time to prepare either now, when we're back home and definitely when we get to India. We've got four or five training days and then a four-day practice match and then the lead-in to the first Test in Bangalore,'' Clarke said.
''I think everyone would be pretty happy with their preparation to date. The next two weeks will be important for everyone to make sure when they go home they're doing some form of training and then use the preparation well in India.''
