Haddin, who played his maiden series against the West Indies with a cracked finger, was keen to take his place in the team but was told he would need regular injections and risked a more serious injury.

'We were concerned if he was going to play he would have had to have it injected pretty much every session because it was a pretty significant crack.

'The other issue is it's a fracture at the moment, so healing will be better than if it's totally broken off. He could have made it worse if he kept. It's hard to go starting a game knowing you're going to get it shot up every two hours,' Nielsen said.

Haddin's injury gave reserve keeper Graham Manou an unexpected debut.

There was no time for captain Ricky Ponting to present Manou with his Baggy Green cap after he was confirmed as Australia's 411th Test player. The ceremony will be held before play starts on day two with Australia.