Peter Handscomb's Test lifeline has been placed in doubt with the Victorian set for scans on his hip after copping a blow in a club game.
Handscomb was hit attempting to play a pull shot in the Victorian Super Slam on Tuesday night, before collapsing as he hit a six from a similar shot three balls later.
The 31-year-old retired hurt and, while officials are hopeful the injury is bruising and not a fracture, he was due for scans on Wednesday.
Any injury would be a brutal blow to Handscomb who has not played for Australia since January 2019.
A star of the future when he averaged 99.75 through his first Tests in 2016-17, Handscomb was dropped twice during the 2018-19 summer.
During that time he has regularly insisted his Test career should not be considered over, as he argued he was far from his prime as a batsman.
Handscomb has since scored 571 runs at an average of 81.57 in this summer's Sheffield Shield, as he mounted his case for selection.
"Peter Handscomb deserves his place back in the squad," chief selector George Bailey said.
"His domestic form has been strong recently and Pete has proven he can perform at Test level.
"His experience against spin on the subcontinent is valuable and he is also an exceptionally good close-to-the-wicket catcher."
The 31-year-old could come into calculations for the first Test in Nagpur on February 9 to bat at No.6 if Cameron Green does not recover from a broken finger.
Matthew Renshaw earned that spot at the SCG last week, but Australia's desire to break up a run of left-handers in the middle order could aid Handscomb's course.
The main concern would be that David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey already make for four left-handers in Australia's top seven, with India's offspinners to turn the ball away from them.
Otherwise, Handscomb may have to wait for another injury or to see if selectors stick with Head throughout the series.
The swashbuckling South Australian had a brilliant home summer, but struggled for runs on last year's two tours of the subcontinent in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
"He's a huge chance over in India," captain Pat Cummins said of Handscomb.
"He has played really well over in Bangladesh. In India he has been there before. Even in white-ball (cricket) he has done really well there.
"Earned the right by scoring lots of runs in Shield cricket.
"It's always nice having a right-hander as well, we have plenty of left-handers, just as a different option."
