Shane Watson is expected to play in the Boxing Day Test after he was hit on the helmet, briefly sending a scare through Australian team training.

A short-pitched ball from James Pattinson struck Watson during Tuesday morning’s net session, leaving him shaken.

Watson briefly fell to his knees from the impact, then immediately left the nets and was seen by the team doctor before leaving the MCG session.

The allrounder immediately returned to the team hotel, rather than attend a fan family day outside the ground.

Pattinson also looked upset and left training.

It is less than a month since Phillip Hughes was felled by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match and died in hospital two days later.

Vice-captain Brad Haddin confirmed Watson was not hurt.

“I had a chat to him – he’s a bit shaken, but he’s OK,” Haddin said.

Hughes’ death has heightened sensitivity around batsmen being struck to the head, but Haddin did not want to read anything into this incident.

“It’s just getting hit in the head – he’s just a bit shaken,” he said.

“He’s shaken as anyone would be.

“I can’t really go into any more details because there’s no more details to give.”

In a lively session, paceman Mitchell Starc also required treatment after being hit on the knee while batting.

The blow left Starc limping noticeably.

“I think he’s trying to get out of having to bowl,” Haddin joked.

“He’s all right. He just hit the ball onto the inside of his knee.”

Starc is expected to drop out of the team for the third Test against India from Friday.

Veteran Ryan Harris bowled at full pace in Tuesday’s session and return to the team at Starc’s expense.

Opener David Warner was a notable absentee from the nets, watching on with his injured thumb strapped, but he is still expected to play.

Captain Steve Smith was also nursing a sore hand after their fielding session.

Whatever their injury problems, Australia have a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series and India are rattled.

Haddin was unimpressed that the Indians had complained about the state of the practice pitches at the last Test in Brisbane.

“What was wrong with the practice wicket?,” he said when asked about the Indians’ concerns.

“They used it the day after the game, so there couldn’t have been anything wrong with it.

“Our bowlers went down there to train the day after and they were bowling there so it can’t have been too bad.