Australia Test squad: Steve Smith under injury cloud for first Test against India Australia's squad for the first Test against India has been announced with skipper Michael Clarke included in the side. However, Cricket Australia Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh says the captain must prove his fitness. Steve Smith in action during the match against South Africa in which he picked up the injury. STAR batsman Steve Smith has joined Australia's injury list after picking up a quadriceps strain during the win over South Africa on Sunday night. Smith is now under an injury cloud for the first Test against India, starting Thursday week, and has been ruled out of New South Wales" Sheffield Shield games against South Australia this week. The 25-year-old underwent scans on Monday morning after reporting soreness following the two-wicket win at the SCG, in which he made 67. "Steve's scan showed a low grade quadriceps muscle strain and has been ruled out of tomorrow's New South Wales Bupa Sheffield Shield game in Sydney as a result," Cricket Australia chief medical officer John Orchard said. His current prognosis is that he is likely to be fit to play in the first Test in Brisbane in the middle of next week. He will stay in Sydney for further physiotherapy treatment and assessment over the rest of the week. Ironically, Smith was being touted as a replacement captain should regular skipper Michael Clarke be ruled out of the Gabba Test through injury. Now Smith has joined Clarke in facing a race against time to be fit in time for the start of the Test series. Despite becoming the number one ODI side in the world after beating South Africa 4-1, Steve Smith believes Australia can still improve. Australia will enter the first Test with Clarke (hamstring) Smith (quads) speedster Ryan Harris (knee) and keeper Brad Haddin (shoulder) under injury clouds. Smith has been Australia's bright light in the one-day series win against South Africa averaging 84 with the bat. The allrounder averaged 43 with the bat in Australia's 2-0 series loss to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. Smith must prove his fitness for the series opener just nine days away against India. It is now a case of "step right up" for a raft of Test wannabes with skipper Clarke and his future successor, Smith, in doubt. Rarely has a Shield round meant so much with the likes of Callum Ferguson, Joe Burns, Shaun Marsh and Phil Hughes clamouring for debuts and recalls. Hughes" 26 first-class tons and experience gain immediate currency if Clarke and Smith are ruled out. Hughes made a double ton for Australia A against South Africa A in Townsville in August and followed with one-day half centuries against the Proteas in Zimbabwe. However another tour as drinks waiter in the Middle East did 26-Test batsman Hughes no favours. Cricket Australia and chairman of selectors Rod Marsh lamented Hughes's recent scores of 20, 69, 7 and 11 for South Australia against New South Wales and Victoria but noted his class He's a very, very good young player that's got 26 first class hundreds. He's probably as unlucky as anyone has been over the last little bit but his time will come," said Marsh. Daily Telegraph cricket writer Jamie Pandaram discusses the Australian squad for the first Test against India. Pandaram believes the inclusion of Michael Clarke is not a risk as the captain still has to prove his fitness to make the eleven. However a timely ton against the Blues this week in Sydney should matter. Hughes is the rolled gold replacement staring selectors in the face and shouldn't be ignored until Chris Rogers" post Ashes exit. South Australia's Callum Ferguson has impressive first class form over the past three years averaging 40, 56 and 81 this campaign with two tons. He also averages over 40 over 30 one-day starts for Australia. Compact Joe Burns averaged 46 last season in Sheffield Shield ranks and fired 183 for Queensland against New South Wales at the Gabba last week. Shaun Marsh has nine Tests in the vault and a ton on debut against Sri Lanka three years ago but an injury catalogue to perplex any medico. The 31-year-old's form this season - 171 runs in four innings punctuated by 111 against Queensland in Perth - reads as a microcosm of a 92-game first class career averaging 35. Alex Doolan was dumped after Australia's first Test loss to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi averaging 23.8 in four starts, while successor Glenn Maxwell's X-Factor stint at No.3 lasted one Test against Pakistan in Dubai. "It would be nice to have 10 young batsmen vying for one spot and that's not where it is at the moment," said Marsh. Originally published as Smith joins Aussie injured list