Dravid blow for India
by Cricket Archive Staff Reporter
DateLine: 28th November 2006
India's disastrous tour of South Africa took a nightmarish turn on
Monday with skipper and batting mainstay Rahul Dravid being ruled out
of the remainder of the one-day series with a finger injury.
Tests revealed that Dravid, who was hit on his finger while batting in
the third one-dayer Sunday, had sustained a fracture and would not be
able to take part in the last two matches of the series which South
Africa lead 2-0. Virender Sehwag, who himself has just come out of a
finger injury and is struggling for runs, will lead the side at Port
Elizabeth on November 29 and Centurion on December 3.
Dravid, however, would remain with the team as physio John Gloster's
report suggests that he would be fit in time for the first Test
beginning on December 15 in Johannesburg. BCCI Sceretary Niranjan Shah
said in a statement issued in Mumbai that no replacement would be sent
for Dravid.
The tour has started on a horrendous note for the Indians who have been
saddled by injuries and poor form that saw them crash to huge defeats
in the two matches so far. Sehwag cut his middle finger before the
start of the tour-opening warm-up match in Benoni on November 16 and
missed out on the second match in Durban after the first was washed out
by rain. Paceman Munaf Patel sat out of the third match Sunday owing to
a sore left ankle. India are already without key ODI player Yuvraj
Singh who hurt his knee during Champions Trophy in late October.
