India got an additional day to prepare for the defence of Harbhajan Singh [Images] after ICC [Images] match referee Mike Procter deferred the hearing in the spinner's alleged breach of Code of Conduct case, which will now take place on Sunday.

The hearing was originally scheduled for Saturday evening but Procter agreed to a request by the Indian management to defer it by a day.

• Harbhajan denies abusing Symonds

"At the request of the India team manager and under the circumstances I have exercised my discretionary powers to postpone the code of conduct hearing until the conclusion of this Test match," Procter said in a statement.

"I am satisfied that with a further 24 hours India will have time to sufficiently prepare for this hearing," he added.

Harbhajan was charged on Friday under Level 3 of the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct following his run-in with Andrew Symonds [Images] on day three of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

• Symonds accuses Harbhajan of racial abuse

The charge was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after the end of play on Friday following a complaint from Australia captain Ricky Ponting [Images].

The complaint was made by Ponting after the 116th over of India's first innings, prior to which Harbhajan is alleged to have made a racist comment directed at Symonds.

The alleged offence falls under 3.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct which refers to players or team officials "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that persons race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin".

If found guilty, Harbhajan could face a ban of between two and four Test matches or between four and eight ODIs.