Nasser’s injury worries England

Nasser’s injury worries England
Agencies

Colombo, March 14: Skipper Nasser Hussain’s groin injury is worrying England ahead of the decisive third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka starting here tomorrow.

With the first-ever series between the two nations level 1-1, the outcome of the final Test is crucial. A win against Sri Lanka would be England’s fourth consecutive Test series win, it’s best result in 22 years.

“He won’t be 100 per cent for the Test so we will leave the decision (on Hussain’s fitness) until the morning of the match to give him as much time as possible to improve,” England physiotherapist Dean Conway said.

Hussain looked comfortable during nets today but the fear of the injury getting aggravated during the Test haunts him. Under Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher, England has an excellent match record, beating Zimbabwe and West Indies at home before winning in Pakistan.

The 3-1 series win over the West Indies was the first against them, home or away, for 31 years, while England had not won in Pakistan since 1961-62.The victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka last Sunday, was its first in Sri Lanka since 1982. The last time England had four consecutive series wins in 1978-79 under Ted Dexter against Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia and India.The Test will be monitored closely by the International Cricket Council, which is worried about deterioration in umpiring standards and bickering among the rival teams on the field that somewhat marred the two Tests. Sri Lanka won the first Test at Galle by an innings and 28 runs and England leveled in Kandy with a three-wicket win.

Kiwis can bounce back: Fleming
Christchurch: New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming, admitting he was still hurting from his side’s 299-run defeat in the first Test, said today it was not too late to bounce back in the second.

New Zealand, beaten by a Pakistan side with four Test rookies in the first Test, will be looking for a better result when the second Test begins tomorrow.

Both team will clash on an even keel on a yet another portable surface with good grass cover. But the Christchurch pitch should have more pace and bounce, unlike the Eden Park surface at Auckland that hosted a cricket match for the first time.

Fleming said New Zealand was struggling to get the team balance right and to face the prospect of playing an extra batsman or strike bowler.

New Zealand might cap allrounder Jacob Oram and swing bowler Chris Drum to give the side batting depth and a cutting edge to the attack that looked toothless with the exception of medium paceman Daryl Tuffey.

If New Zealand decide to play both of them, bowler Chris Martin and off-spinner Grant Bradburn will have to fight it out for a place. The home side has been hard at work since the completion of the first Test, with the emphasis on how to combat the lethal reverse swing mastered by the tourists and how to play the Saqlain Mushtaq. The bowling machines have been hard at work and cranked up to the maximum to simulate the Pakistan threat in the form of the experienced Waqar Younis and rookie fast bowler Mohammad Sami.

“It is a skill factor and how well they do it is a mystery. We have tried to replicate it but in a match situation it is 10 yards quicker,” Fleming said.