NORTHAMPTON: India paceman Zaheer Khan bowled just three overs against Northamptonshire on Saturday, casting further doubt on his ability to shrug off a hamstring injury and make next week's third Test.
The 32-year-old seamer, a crucial part of the Indian Test team which is 2-0 down in the four-match series against England, picked up the injury in the first game at Lord's and missed the second in Trent Bridge.
After Saturday's tour match, where Northamptonshire chased down a 353-run target, India team manager Anirudh Chaudhry said a decision on Zaheer's fitness for the third Test at Edgbaston starting on Wednesday would be made on Sunday.
"Giving Zaheer Khan a few overs was always the plan, the reason he did not bowl more was not because of any problem with his hamstring," Chaudhry said.
"Whatever the status is regarding Zaheer, we will issue a press release as and when his status is absolutely clear to us.
"The call is to be taken by our physio and right now he has not given his final call on whether he is ready or not.
"Zaheer will continue with his day-to-day rehabilitation programme that we have set for him, but we will know by tomorrow whether he can play at Edgbaston on Thursday.
"We will issue a press release to everybody concerned tomorrow evening as and when we know the final decision."
On Saturday, India were bowled out for 352 before the hosts made 355 for seven with two balls to spare.
Amit Mishra made 61 while Luke Evans took a career-best four for 74.
Zaheer's brief spell came just before lunch -- at a cost of 24 runs -- as openers Mal Loye (100) and Niall O'Brien (117) smashed their way to centuries in a 201-run stand.
Loye completed his first century in over a year in the first over of the evening session, off 145 balls, before he finally departed when he launched Munaf Patel to India's Test captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni fielding at deep cover.
O'Brien then hung around to make his ton off 167 deliveries before he finally perished when he swept Mishra to Dhoni at third man.
The same bowler trapped Rob White lbw for 25 three balls later and suddenly the wickets were tumbling with Rob Newton (three) the next out when he edged Patel to Virat Kohli in the slips.
Northamptonshire captain David Sales (11) was lbw to Shanthakumaran Sreesanth before David Willey (12) was caught by Praveen Kumar, at deep square leg, off the same bowler.
Paul Best was lbw to Suresh Raina for one but David Murphy (26) and David Burton (36) saw the county side home.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011
Comments
Comments are closed.