Dravid blow for India by Cricket Archive Staff Reporter

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Player:

RS Dravid, V Sehwag, MM Patel, Yuvraj Singh

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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.