Team India’s fast-depleting reserves

It would seem an unlikely time to talk about fast bowlers, considering Indian spinners accounted for eight of the ten English wickets in the first innings on day two. However, the rest of the same day's play, when the Indian spinners toiled for no reward, made a case for the pacemen. Umesh Yadav and Zaheer Khan might have to play a bigger role, firstly to get crucial wickets and secondly to relieve the tiring spinners without conceding the initiative.

The problem though, is that if one of the front line pacers gets injured, India will have a difficult time finding a replacement. Ishant Sharma, making a comeback to the Test side after an ankle injury, is out with a viral fever while the rest of the potential candidates are all currently down with injuries and haven't played Test cricket in almost a year if not longer.

The latest additions to the growing injury list of medium pacers with Test-match experience are Karnataka's strike bowlers R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun. The bowlers already on the list include Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and the uncapped but promising Varun Aaron.

The aforementioned bowlers, expect for Aaron, have played a total of 74 Tests but none of them are currently in the reckoning — considering their current lack of fitness — if the need arises for their inclusion in the second Test to be played in Mumbai from November 23. Bengal's Ashok Dinda, selected as a back-up for Sharma, hasn't yet played a Test match.

Bare cupboard

The nature of the injuries vary — from Vinay's sore hamstring to Mithun's back strain to Praveen Kumar's elbow to injured knees for RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel and Sreesanth's toe — and in turn rules them out for the third round of the Ranji Trophy, if not for subsequent matches too.

... contd.

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