Determined to get into the groove ahead of the Test series, India’s preparations have been hit by fitness worries to two of their key players Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan who may be rested for the warm-up match against Central Districts beginning here tomorrow. Paceman Zaheer Khan is nursing a knee injury, which he suffered during yesterday’s Super Max international match and has been advised two days rest, while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is yet to recover from viral fever. “Harbhajan is recovering. But Zaheer will need treatment for the next two days,” Indian team manager N R Choudhary said, as the visitors arrived here this afternoon for the three-day match. Even though the Indian think tank wants to field its best team for the game, the only one before the start of the first Test at Wellington next Thursday, it seems unlikely that it would rush its two spearheads into the match considering that they have to play two Tests and seven one-dayers on the tour. Harbhajan and Zaheer will have to shoulder the bowling responsibility which lacks experience in the absence of veterans Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. While Kumble opted out of the Test series due to personal reasons, selectors had decided to rest Srinath. Meanwhile, the Indian team had to put on hold its practice session since their kit could not reach in time. The baggage of the players is to arrive by road from Wellington, a five hours drive from here. The Indians, who have not won a Test series in New Zealand for over three decades, are determined to reverse the trend this time around, having been quite consistent in alien conditions this year. Coach John Wright believes that seaming pitches and past history would not be a problem for his side, which boasts of a strong batting line-up. “The best feature about our tour of England this year is we batted well at Headingley and Nottingham which were green wickets,” Wright said. Wright is confident that his formidable batting line up will live upto its reputation but said “The biggest challenge for us has always been to take 20 wickets. We know we bat pretty well.” The Indian batting line-up is in good form and Sachin Tendulkar himself proved it when he scored a blistering 72 in the Max game after coming back from a month long break due to hamstring injury. In the absence of Zaheer and Harbhajan, the Indian bowling attack for the warm up game is likely to comprise three medium pacers — Ashish Nehra, Tinu Yohannan and Ajit Agarkar — and Murali Kartik as the lone spinner. The Indians do not have happy memories of their last match with Central Districts which they had lost by seven wickets despite a century by Tendulkar. (PTI)
