CHENNAI: Too much cricket is finally seems to be taking its toll. The Indian cricket fans might have thought that West Indies would be easy meat, but the pace attack that they will have during the Test series doesn't really exude confidence.
Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth, the chief architects of India's morale-boosting 1-1 draw against South Africa late last year, have been ruled out due to injuries. Praveen Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun have been selected as back-up for Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel, who are already there. While Praveen hasn't got his Test cap and is always considered as a limited-overs specialist, Mithun looked pretty flat in the couple of chances he has got so far.
Both Zaheer and Sreesanth played for their respective franchises Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kochi Tuskers in the IPL and it can be safely assumed that the injuries were sustained during that time.
Yet, such is the demand of the instant cricket these days, that both had to go through the rigours of T20 cricket and the end-result was a weakened pace attack for the Indian team for the West Indies tour.
"Zaheer and Sreesanth have been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series against the West Indies. Zaheer has a right ankle problem, and Sreesanth has a right elbow problem. Both players will require some time off for rehabilitation," a BCCI media release said.
However, the media release didn't say that the injuries to both these pacemen were known to the selectors when they finalised the squad for the Test series. Just that, they were hoping against hope that the duo will get in time, but "their recuperation has been slow".
With the England series starting from July 21, the BCCI didn't intend to take any more chances with the duo. The selection committee hopes that they will get fit on time for the England series, even though a time-frame for their recuperation wasn't specified in the BCCI media release.
But how will the Indian attack take 20 wickets in West Indies? The selection committee feels that the spinners will have to come to the party in the low and slow tracks of the West Indies. Even Pakistan offie Saeed Ajmal ran through the Caribbean batting line-up just a few days back and the feeling is that Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra, too, will be able to do the same.
India's revised Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Venkatsai Laxman (vice-captain), Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel.
Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth, the chief architects of India's morale-boosting 1-1 draw against South Africa late last year, have been ruled out due to injuries. Praveen Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun have been selected as back-up for Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel, who are already there. While Praveen hasn't got his Test cap and is always considered as a limited-overs specialist, Mithun looked pretty flat in the couple of chances he has got so far.
Both Zaheer and Sreesanth played for their respective franchises Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kochi Tuskers in the IPL and it can be safely assumed that the injuries were sustained during that time.
Yet, such is the demand of the instant cricket these days, that both had to go through the rigours of T20 cricket and the end-result was a weakened pace attack for the Indian team for the West Indies tour.
"Zaheer and Sreesanth have been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series against the West Indies. Zaheer has a right ankle problem, and Sreesanth has a right elbow problem. Both players will require some time off for rehabilitation," a BCCI media release said.
However, the media release didn't say that the injuries to both these pacemen were known to the selectors when they finalised the squad for the Test series. Just that, they were hoping against hope that the duo will get in time, but "their recuperation has been slow".
With the England series starting from July 21, the BCCI didn't intend to take any more chances with the duo. The selection committee hopes that they will get fit on time for the England series, even though a time-frame for their recuperation wasn't specified in the BCCI media release.
But how will the Indian attack take 20 wickets in West Indies? The selection committee feels that the spinners will have to come to the party in the low and slow tracks of the West Indies. Even Pakistan offie Saeed Ajmal ran through the Caribbean batting line-up just a few days back and the feeling is that Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra, too, will be able to do the same.
India's revised Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Venkatsai Laxman (vice-captain), Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel.
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