Sport - Cricket

Selectors to grapple with fitness issues

Bangalore: Fitness issues might cloud judgements as the selection committee chaired by Dilip Vengsarkar sits down to pick the Indian squad for the forthcoming three-Test series against the visiting South Africans, here on Monday evening.

The first Test will be held in Chennai from March 26.

The selectors will have to grapple with the issue of fitness concerns, primarily among the speedsters, besides sorting out the merry-go-round for opening slots in recent times.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan has virtually ruled himself out citing injury-rehabilitation while Ishant Sharma is nursing a toe and forefinger injury. Ishant’s selection will depend on the fitness report that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will submit to the BCCI.

Dav Whatmore, NCA’s director of operations, might have an informal word with the selectors, skipper Anil Kumble and new coach Gary Kirsten, who is embarking on his first full assignment with the Indian team after chipping in briefly as a consultant in Australia. Kirsten arrived here on Friday night.

R.P. Singh meanwhile has recovered from a right hamstring injury and bowled well and without discomfort for Central Zone in the recent Deodhar Trophy match against West.

While the middle order quartet of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman is settled, the opening roles have not yet crystallised.

Dinesh Karthik has been shunted out and Wasim Jaffer struggled for runs in Australia. With Virender Sehwag finding form as a Test opener and Gautam Gambhir revelling with runs in the recent Tri-series, the selectors have to make an informed call.

The fitness concerns surrounding Yuvraj Singh’s knee injury that were raised by earlier physio John Gloster will also leave the selectors in a spot of bother.

The spin department manned by skipper Kumble is expected to feature Harbhajan Singh, though he too along with Yuvraj will have to clear a fitness test on Monday morning. Harbhajan is nursing a hamstring strain. The names of Murali Kartik and Piyush Chawla are also being bandied around for a probable third-spinner’s slot.

Meanwhile, Ishant and V.R.V. Singh underwent fitness tests at the NCA on Sunday afternoon. Yuvraj and Harbhajan were, however, conspicuous by their absence though they were expected to be present.

The duo is now expected to be tested on Monday morning.

Ishant was inside the NCA for 30 minutes and was closeted with Whatmore and the physical conditioning support staff — Paul Close and Paul Chapman. Ishant, Harbhajan and Yuvraj were some of the players from the recent ODI squad that toured Australia, who were called for fitness tests to prove their availability for the South African series.

In the earlier weeks, the seniors from the Test squad — Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman — had all attended their routine tests.

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