Injury fright for Ishant Sharma in Dominica

India's pace lead Ishant Sharma experience a freak injury during a practice session ahead of the third Test. However, the team association said it was not serious and the speedster would be part of the side for the third and final Test against the West Indies, starting here Wednesday. Ishant upset himself during a football match which Team India played at Windsor Park Monday evening.

The visitors who refrain from bowling, bat and fielding session came over to the venue of the third and final Test rather late and restricted themselves to a session of fun football between themselves. However, it stunned everyone when Praveen Kumar jumps in the air and by chance head-butted the left cheekbone of Ishant. The crash was so hard that Ishant lay flat on his back for a good two notes, causing a panic in the Indian ranks.

The physic and masseur of the team quick from the bandage room and lifted Ishant, escorting him out of the ground. Ishant seem to have a deep blood clot on his left cheekbone, probably a little cut as well, but team basis later allay the fears that the injury might cost him the final Test.It's a small bruise, a small cut under his eye. But I have been told it's not grave, Rahul Dravid was to say later on. Ishant has so far selected up 16 wickets from the series, counting a 10-wicket haul in the Barbados Test, with an average of 13.62.

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Preview: WI vs India, 3rd Test

Out of form young batsmen seem to be India's only anxiety as they aim to sign off their Caribbean sojourn on a high. The top Test side in the world would try to clinch the third and final Test against the West Indies, preliminary in Dominica Wednesday. The Indians, most significant the three-match series 1-0, may have to make some alter to their bat line-up on a Windsor Park track which is predictable to offer pace and rebound.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has make sure a continuance of his winning record in a Test series but he would have to take a call if Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli are to get yet another chance after their catastrophic outings so far in the Caribbean. The two already have the writing on the wall as they haven't been picked for the series against England, starting in mid-July.

While Vijay has hurt his place with an aggregate of 22 runs (5.50 avg) from the four innings of two matches, Kohli has done no better than 46 runs (11.50) and is only now realizing the vast chasm between a unfinished over's and a longer format game. Vijay's vengeance has been Ravi Rampaul who has got him in all the four innings while Kohli has found Fidel Edwards too hot to handle, having been dismiss by the Barbadian in three of the four innings he has batted.

India needs their substitute as the West Indies' new ball bowlers have had the complete measure of these two young batsmen. Thus Parthiv Patel and Subramaniam Badrinath can fancy their chances in the final Test if Dhoni prefers to reshuffle his cards. Both Patel and Badrinath have had little batting since the one-day series ended, more so with the Chennai batsman who wasn't selected for the last ODI in Jamaica and has been out of act for three weeks.

Fascinatingly, the choice is not as straightforward as it seems. Badrinath played two Tests against South Africa at home 16 months ago and aggregated a meagre 63 runs (21.00 avg), having been claimed by speedster Dale Steyn in two of his three innings. Patel has played just 20 Tests since first rotating out for India against England at Trent Bridge nine seasons ago. He last played a Test against Sri Lanka three years ago.

His career statistics of 683 runs (29.70) aren't too pretty either. But such has been the breakdown of Vijay and Kohli that Dhoni would be tempted to replace them, more so since the pitch for the final Test could again have his batsmen's trial by fire. If Dhoni persists with Vijay and Kohli, with the realization that they are better bets for future than either Patel or Badrinath, he would have no such hesitation in replacing Abhimanyu Mithun with Munaf Patel who himself hasn't played a Test for over two years, despite his limited overs heroics this year.

West Indies, if anything, are in a better batting mess than India. While India has twisted to knowledgeable Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman to bail them out in the two Tests, West Indies haven't had such fortune with Ramnaresh Sarwan who has been left out in favor of Kieron Powell.

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West Indies crash out-of-form Sarwan

West Indies have drop knowledgeable but out-of-form batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan from their 13-member squad for the third Test against India. Kieran Powell has been name to take Sarwan's place in the squad.

The 21-year-old left-hander is the Leeward Islands opener and a normal member of the West Indies A team.

There are no other changes to the squad from the second Test in Barbados which broken in a draw. India holds a 1-0 series lead in the three-match rubber.

Powell has played two one-dayers for the West Indies, both in the Champions Trophy in South Africa two years ago.

In all, he has 5 runs to his name from these two global matches after he made a duck against Bangladesh, and 5 against India.

Sarwan has had a miserable summer with the bat and made only 29 runs from four innings of the first two Tests next to India. He was no better next to Pakistan in the ODI series, making 54 runs from four innings of two Tests.

"Ramnaresh is having a hard time and it is best for him to make way and allow a player in better form to contribute to the team totals," said Clyde Butts, Chairman of the Selection Committee.

"We have no doubt about Ramnaresh's class as a batsman, he has established himself innumerable times in the past and we are certain that he will return stronger in the near future," Butts added.

"Kieran is young but has been on the first class circuit for some time and is a former Windies Under-19 World Cup player. He did well for the West Indies A and scored an imposing hundred against England Lions in the WICB Regional four-Day Tournament but got injured subsequently."

Powell has been working for the past several weeks at the Sagicor High Performance Center in Barbados under Head Coach Andre Coley and Batting Coach Carl Hooper.

The Third Test will be played at Windsor Park from July 6. This is the first time a Test is being hosted in Dominica although it has staged four one-dayers -- two each against Bangladesh and South Africa -- in the past.

West Indies squad:
Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons.

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Cook: Broad appearance still not a worry

England have troubles to address if they are to fight back in the NatWest Series, but captain Alastair Cook is not panic yet about Stuart Broad's form.

Broad was wicketless once more at Lord's - he has yet to strike in three 50-over fixtures next to Sri Lanka so far - having learn before start of play yesterday that he must also fork out 50% of his match fee for losing his temper at Headingley.

Broad will head for his home ground of Trent Bridge on Wednesday nursing series figures of none for 154. But after England's six-wicket beat at HQ, centurion Cook said of the fast bowler's barren run: "I think it's just one of those things."

Cook saw sufficient in Broad's labors - particularly when bowling to man-of-the-match Dinesh Chandimal (105no) - to help him keep the faith.

"In a pair of overs when he was bowling forcefully at the guy who got a hundred, he hit the gloves and got the ball to bounce up.

"He had a short-leg in, and they just kept avoid him. "At the instant it's not fairly going for Broady, a bit like the Test matches. "But this is what cricket does, and if he get five-for next time on his home ground it will be welcome."

As for Broad's financial punishment from International Cricket Council match referee Alan Hurst in Leeds, it seems both bowler and captain have established he was at fault for apparently swearing at umpire Billy Bowden over a not-out lbw decision.

"He oversteps the mark," said Cook. "But when he bowled forcefully he made it painful - that's what Stuart does well. "Broady's always played that way. That's part of what's made him get so far in the game so quickly.

"Occasionally he has overstepped the mark. But when you're wrong you're wrong, you put your hands up - and he admits that."

Broad's woes are not the only mark of bother for England at present following yesterday's six-wicket defeat.

Their critics also point to natural accumulators Cook and Jonathan Trott's tricky co-existence at numbers one and three in a limited-over batting line-up - while there is also the question of whether an extra spin alternative may serve them better in the bowling attack.

"We're going to appraisal this game, like we always do, and we'll try to pick the best side to win the game," said Cook, looking onward to Nottingham.

"If it's going to fly throughout we want four quicks. We're happy with that, but we can change that side."

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