Shoulder harm?

Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Team India in Ahmedabad. They landed there to find a green pitch...

Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Team India in Ahmedabad. They landed there to find a green pitch, got bowled out for 76, lost a Test match inside three days and seem to be picking up new niggles every day.

Zaheer Khan has been out of action since early part of the Australia series, Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the final Test as well, Ishant Sharma and Anil Kumble have to pass a fitness test ahead of Kanpur and Harbhajan Singh may not be very fit either. The off-spinner missed practice due to a stomach bug.

The latest addition to that list, apparently, is Sreesanth. According to sources in the Indian team, the Kerala pacer has pulled a right shoulder tendon. Sreesanth, who was quite impressive in the Ahmedabad Test, arrived for practice at the Motera with his team mates on Monday.

Though he went through the routine fielding drills, he didn8217;t bowl at the nets. Even while fielding, he avoided throwing. It8217;s learnt that the bowler is facing a problem only while throwing, but didn8217;t want to take a chance by bowling in the nets either. However, it8217;s not a recurrence of his last shoulder injury, which kept him out of the Test series in Australia.

Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni has apparently developed a throat infection. He left the field during the warm-up session and returned later to bat in the nets, and left for the team hotel before his teammates.

Ishant Sharma, who was supposed to join the team in Ahmedabad, will now come directly to Kanpur. The find of India in Australia, the Delhi bowler is fighting to be fit in time for the Kanpur Test. Ramesh Powar, included into the team as a back-up spinner, will also join the team in Kanpur.

Munaf Patel, who may have to spearhead the pace department if Ishant fails to make it, reached here last night. The Bharuch bowler looked in good rhythm while bowling at the nets on Monday. He bowled in two spells of about 25 minutes each at the main Motera pitch.

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Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla were the only other bowlers from the squad to bowl today.

After the Ahmedabad debacle, India was expected to boost their spin attack on a helpful track at the Green Park Stadium to draw the series. But now, with both the spin and pace attack dogged by injuries, the plot seems to have gone awry.

According to sources, while a few may recover in time, the hosts8217; biggest worry is the injury of their captain. His possibility is 50-50 right now.

Kumble was off the field a little after lunch on the final day of the Chennai Test because of the groin injury but played in Ahmedabad despite concerns in the lead-up to the game.