Injured Sreesanth Likely to Return Home

Colombo: India's already depleted pace attack further got weakened on Monday as pacer S Sreesanth was ruled out of the India-Sri Lanka Test series, starting on July 18 at Galle, due to knee injury.

Sreensanth, asked to lead the pace attack in the absence of Zaheer Khan, encountered a knee problem on Sunday.

Jaidev Unadkat, who played with the India A team in England, may fancy his chance now that Shreesanth has been ruled out.

But India are unlikely to go with the three pacemen in the Sri Lankan conditions and Abhimanyu Mithun, replacement of Zaheer, will be first choice to fill in the slot.

Earlier, Zaheer was ruled out of the Test series due to a shoulder injury and in his absence Sreesanth and lanky Ishant Sharma were to do the duty with the new ball.

India begin their tour of Sri Lanka with a three-day game against a Sri Lankan side in Colombo from June 13-15 before the first Test starts at Galle from July 18.

The second Test starts in Colombo from July 26 while the third and final Test will also be played in Colombo from August 3-7.