Injury worries increase as India gear up for Lanka test

Injuries to key players such as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma is giving them the jitters but India would still be firm favourites when they take on a depleted and struggling Sri Lanka in their penultimate league encounter of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, here tomorrow.
Despite injuries, India have the edge against the island nation, whom they beat 2-1 in a recent home series. The reason being a possible injury to Lankan captain and primary strike bowler Lasith Malinga, whose knee problem has again flared up and has put his further participation in the tournament in doubt.

"I don't know if Lasith will be available in the next two games as it is a fitness related issue. His injury has again flared up," stand-in captain Angelo Mathews said after their loss against Bangladesh.
More than the challenge posed by defending World T20 champions, the Indian team will like to set their house in order as far injuries are concerned.
Skipper Dhoni is playing through pain due to the back spasms, which has prevented him from taking part in most of the training sessions.
If that wasn't enough, Shikhar Dhawan was ruled unfit before the last game against Pakistan, reportedly with a niggle in his left ankle.

There is speculation that considering Dhawan's questionable technique in conditions where the ball bounces as well as there is seam and swing, the team management found Ajinkya Rahane more reliable at the top of the order.

If Dhawan's injury wasn't enough, the latest blow has been Rohit Sharma getting hit on the left toe by a crushing yorker from Mohammed Amir in the game against Pakistan.
According to information, a precautionary X-ray has been done and luckily no fracture has been detected.
But with both openers being injured, it does put a question-mark on the playing XI, which has been more or less same in the last eight T20 games.

For the record, India have won seven out of the eight games they have played this year.
(Re-opens FGN24)
Parthiv has usually opened in the T20 format for most of the franchises that he has played for.
The strip used for the Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh match yesterday did not have the demons of the Indo-Pak game where there was vicious movement, which could also be credited to Amir's individual brilliance.
In case, there is less juice in the pitch, a half-fit Dhawan can also come into the picture. On pitches where there is minimum lateral movement, Dhawan's game, based on plonking his front foot and hitting through the line, may prove to be ideal.

Virat Kohli has got into the groove with a memorable 49 against Pakistan. But Suresh Raina, who again looked suspect against fast and short balls, will like to get his confidence back, which has been badly shaken by Amir, during the torrid little time he negotiated in the last match.
Yuvraj Singh may not have got too many runs but his gritty effort had been acknowledged by none other than the skipper and he will like to get a big knock before the start of the World T20.
Dhoni hasn't been required to strike it big in the last two games but given the fickle nature of the format, his much admired finishing skills might be needed any time.

In the bowling department, there aren't too many issues but it will be interesting to see whether Ashish Nehra, who has now played 8 T20 Internationals in just over a month, is given a break.
In that case, the option for team management is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been inconsistent to say the least in the past one year.
On the bowling front, a green wicket gives West Indies
bowlers more penetration, and thus a good chance against the strong Indian batting line-up.
The Caribbeans will be thinking about boosting their bowling attack and the inclusion of rookie pacer Alzarri Joseph comes as a welcome move.

19-year-old Joseph could be in line to make his Test debut as will be 25-year-old Miguel Cummins, who was ignored for the Antigua match.
Joseph made an impression in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, helping the West Indies lift the crown with a 13-wicket haul in that tournament, while Cummins is known to work up good pace. Both the bowlers will play an ideal foil to Shannon Gabriel with the new ball.
If West Indies are tempted to play both the newcomers, it might weaken the batting, given that skipper Holder had stacked his playing eleven up to No.9 in the first Test.

That conservative ploy didn't work out too well against the discipline of India's five-pronged attack in Antigua.
Among the West Indies batsmen, Marlon Samuels will be in the spotlight as since the end of the first Test, rumour has been swirling about his future with some suggesting that the 35-year-old could be playing his last Test series.
All eyes in Kingston will be on Samuels as it remains to be seen whether he can follow up his half-century in the second innings in Antigua and make a bigger impact here on his home ground.
Teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (C), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma.

West Indies: Jason Holder (C), Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajendra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Leon Johnson, Shane Dowrich (wk), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel, Miguel Cummins, Alzarri Joseph.
Match starts at: 8.30 pm IST.