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Mumbai: A jawline fracture, a stitched-up left hand and a torn cartilage in the left wrist will give Indian selectors the jitters as they meet on Thursday to pick the squad for the two-Test home series against South Africa.
Therefore, it will not be a surprise if the selectors decide to pick the team only for the first Test instead of two as announced earlier. The first Test starts on Feb 6 in Nagpur.
Rahul Dravid (jaw), VVS Laxman (left hand) and Yuvraj Singh (wrist) are the ones carrying the injuries and in fact, Sachin Tendulkar too is down with a shoulder injury though it is not a serious one.
More than the options available, the selectors will be waiting eagerly for fitness reports before they decide to bring in any key replacements.
In a scenario where Dravid, Laxman and Yuvraj have to stay away from the first Test, S Badrinath, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina are the most likely contenders.
Murali Vijay, who replaced Laxman in the second Test against Bangladesh, looks set to keep his place in the XI in case of one of the three injured missing the Test. Badrinath too will be considered if more than one player is ruled out. If all three report unfit, youngsters Kohli and Raina, who have impressed in the One-dayers, could win Test caps.
Mohammed Kaif, who struck a double hundred and a hundred for Central Zone in Duleep Trophy has suddenly emerged as a dark horse in case the selectors choose to bank on experience. Youngsters like Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara - who impressed during the Ranji Trophy will also merit at least a discussion in the meeting.
However, considering that there will be pressure on India to keep up with the number of points to help them sustain the No. 1 ranking, it is unlikely that selectors will go for any raw talent. Among bowlers, apart from Zaheer and Ishant, UP's Sudeep Tyagi too could be in, just in case Sreesanth doesn't recover from his side strain.
