Australia’s in-form batter Travis Head skipped an optional training session Monday (December 23), raising concerns about his fitness for the Boxing Day Test against India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Notably, Head was seen struggling between wickets during Australia’s second innings of the third Test at the Gabba last Wednesday (December 18). He did not take the field for India's second innings, fueling more conjecture.

Sharing an update on his fitness, Head had said in the post-match presentation: "Just a little sore, but I should be fine (before the next game)."

A team representative informed that Monday's training was not compulsory, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. The crucial practice session is scheduled for Tuesday (December 24), where Head needs to prove his fitness, followed by an optional session on the eve of the game.

Travis Head has been the most stand-out batter from both sides in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The southpaw is leading the run-scoring charts with 409 runs at an average of 81.80.

Head played a match-winning knock of 140 in 141 balls with 17 boundaries and 4 sixes during the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. He followed up with an equally magnificent 152 in the rain-marred Gabba Test.

While Head was a notable absentee from Australia’s optional training session, senior batter Steve Smith engaged in an intense practice session with head coach Andrew McDonald.

Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja also batted extensively at the nets, following their flop show in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. While Labuschagne has scored only 82 runs at 16.4, Khawaja has managed to accumulate merely 63 runs at an average of 12.6.

The BGT currently stands level at 1-1, and the hosts need their top-order to fire in the remaining two Tests if they are to clinch the coveted trophy for the first time since 2014-15.