With the BCCI deciding to continue the controversy-marred tour of Australia, the Indian cricket team on Wednesday left for Canberra to play a three-day practice match against ACT XI starting from Thursday.

The Indians were asked by the BCCI to stay put here after a string of umpiring blunders cost them the second Test and a race row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds resulted in a three-match ban on off spinner Harbhajan Singh.

But the deadlock ended on Tuesday after the ICC decided to replace controversial West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor with New Zealand's Billy Bowden and allowed Harbhajan to play in the remainder of the series pending a decision on the BCCI appeal against the ban on him.

A team spokesman was scheduled to address the media but it had to be cancelled as the Indians decided against adding anything new to a controversy which seems to have been put to rest for the time being.

Former skipper Sourav Ganguly merely said "we're not allowed to comment" before boarding the team bus, which ended up grazing a parked car as it tried to go past a group of anticipating journalists and cricket fans.

The Indians will play their third Test of the series against Australia in Perth from January 16.