Australian skipper Ricky Ponting will miss the third Test against India. The Australian team's media manager Jonathan Rose announced the news to the media on Thursday in Chennai.

Ponting said he was told by a hand specialist, Trevor James in Sydney, that his injured left thumb was not healing as quickly as he (James) had hoped.

"Naturally I'm pretty disappointed not to be ready. The thumb is certainly healing, but there is no strength in it, and the medical advice is that I would be a one-in-a-hundred chance of being right for the third Test," Ponting told reporters.

"Basically it just needs some more time to heal properly."

The third Test begins in Nagpur on October 26.

The Indians are already missing Sachin Tendulkar and even the master batsman seems doubtful for the third Test though the Indian team is doing its best to get him fit.

Ponting will visit the hand specialist again next week to get his opinion and know whether he will be able to make it for the fourth and final Test of the series at Mumbai.

In his absence the Aussies have already clinched the first Test at Bangalore. This also gives a chance to Darren Lehmann to get his act together and maybe even keep Michael Clarke out of the side when Ponting returns.

(With inputs from PTI)