Published>Tue, Aug 03 10 09:51 AM
Team news from the Indian camp on this tour has largely been about niggles, flu, wobbly knees, side strains, muscle pulls and sore groins. A Mahendra Singh Dhoni media interaction doesn't go by without questions regarding the fitness of players; some of them are regarding recuperating players, those who have suffered injuries during the match and others about those who haven't turned up for training.
Dhoni knows what the question 'team news' means nowadays. When asked about what information he can share on the eve of the third Test at the P Sara Oval, Dhoni, by now used to giving regular briefings about the fitness of his teammates, asked: "You mean the injury list."
The three-Test series against Sri Lanka was accommodated to allow the team a better chance of defending their No.1 ranking. Measures were also taken to ensure players got enough rest ahead of the Asia Cup and the Test series; one of them being fielding a second-string side for the tri-series in Zimbabwe. But things haven't gone according to script.
From the time it was certain that left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan would miss the Test series due to a shoulder injury, the injury list has been revised and then updated again. S Sreesanth managed just half a dozen balls in the nets before hurting his knee and flying back home.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's participation in the third Test is still uncertain. It is learnt that Harbhajan sprained his calf while running on Sunday evening after opting out of the training session in the morning. Harbhajan was down with a bout of flu and missed the tour game. He is not the only player who has been laid low.
Gautam Gambhir is certain to miss his second consecutive Test after a fitness drill on Monday left much to be desired with regard to his knee. Yuvraj Singh didn't play at No.6 in the second Test following a bout of flu, while Sachin Tendulkar strained his groin during his knock of 203 but has recovered to play in the third Test.
Playing minus a full-strength squad is something India has done against South Africa at home and before that during the Test series against Bangladesh, but fielding a team without many first choice players against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka makes for a stiffer challenge. India's No.1 ranking is not under threat anymore but they are trailing 0-1 in the series and a defeat in the last game will not reflect well on the visitors.
In Sri Lanka, the flat wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club only further highlighted India's thin bowling resources. In a year leading up to the World Cup, injuries - especially to fast bowlers - is a concern, chief national selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth told this paper on the eve of the Test tour.
"There is less than a year for the World Cup and in such a scenario the injuries to our fast bowlers are becoming a concern. But there is nothing much we can do about it with so much cricket being played. It is up to the players to take care of themselves and maintain their fitness levels. They need to be extra careful because an important event like the World Cup is around the corner," Srikkanth had told The Indian Express.
During this series the injury concerns have only mounted and it is not just restricted to the fast bowlers. If Dhoni's side pull off a win in the third Test and level the series, it will be a face-saver for a team which has always been playing 'catch up' in Sri Lanka after losing the toss and being asked to field. Injuries are part and parcel of a cricketer's life cycle. Still, not being able to field a full-strength team since taking over as the No.1 side in the world has only made Dhoni's life more difficult. At P Sara, it will once again be up to the replacements to stake their claim and try and fill the void.
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