There was cause for concern for India with Zaheer Khan choosing to go through just fitness drills due to what seems like a hamstring injury
Sidharth Monga in Centurion13-Dec-2010
Still an uncertainty for the first Test on December 16•AFP
India looked a side at comfort with itself during their first fullpractice session with the whole squad for the Tests, butthere was cause for concern with Zaheer Khan choosing to go throughjust fitness drills due to what seems like a hamstring injury.ESPNcricinfo understands that the scans have failed to pick anything,but neither Zaheer nor the team wants to risk aggravating the injury.”As of now he is not [fit],” a team source told ESPNcricinfo. “Thereare still three days to go to the Test, so we didn’t want to take anyrisks.” So, even as the rest of the team had a good workout in the netsat the Supersport Park in Centurion, Zaheer spent time with PaulClose, the team physio. He went through the light fitness drillgingerly, often holding on to the groin area.It could be an injury picked up during the fourth ODI against NewZealand, in Bangalore. As he finished the 49th over of the New Zealandinnings – only his eighth in the match – Zaheer went back holding on tothe groin area. Then Zaheer was making a comeback from a groin injurythat had him miss the third Test and the first two ODIs against NewZealand. He also didn’t feature in the fifth and final ODI in Chennai.This hasn’t been a good year for Zaheer’s body. He missed the whole of the tour of Sri Lanka with an injury to the same shoulder that was operatedon two years ago. He started his comeback through the Champions LeagueTwenty20 in South Africa and did well in the home Tests against Australiabefore getting injured again.The team is hopeful Zaheer will make it to the first Teststarting Thursday, but, should he be ruled out, India have Umesh Yadavand Jaydev Unadkat to choose from – unless they want to go with twospinners, in which case Pragyan Ojha will come in.