While Mitchell Starc is hopeful of returning to Australia’s playing XI for the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India, the left-arm pacer admits he is no certainty after recovering from a broken finger.

Starc didn’t feature in the opening Test in Nagpur last week as a result of a finger injury that he sustained during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa last December, which also ruled him out of the final Test of that series.

The lanky fast bowler landed in India on Saturday (February 11) and joined his teammates on Tuesday (February 14) ahead of the second Test, slated to get underway in Delhi on February 17.

"I'd like to be a little further down the road," Starc told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday (February 15).

"Still a good chance so it'll come down to how it reacts by the end of (Wednesday), how the medical staff see it, how the selectors and Pat (Cummins) and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) feel about it as well,” he added.

Starc said he will do everything to make himself available for selection but admitted that he was struggling to regain full finger strength.

"I'll do everything I can to be fully available for selection, then it's a discussion for the rest of the group involved. I don't think (batting will be an issue) so it's going to be uncomfortable but I don't think it's an issue," he said.

"I think I'll still field with a cap on (the finger), that's what I did in Melbourne (after he initially broke the finger)...I don't field myself in slip anyway. Obviously, a challenge of a week but we move onto the second Test and it presents a new challenge," Starc further stated.

"I'm not sure we'll see conditions change too much from last week with how the guys have discussed it. I think judging on the last couple of days the wickets out the back are similar in many ways to what the center is."

Having lost the first Test by an innings and 132 runs, Australia have conceded a 1-0 lead to India in the four-match Test series.

(With India Today Inputs)