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Fitness worries
for Zaheer and Flintoff |
 As
the fifth ODI gets underway at Leeds in
Headingley on Sunday, both teams are facing
fitness worries of their leading fast bowlers.
For India, it is a bigger issue as the inform
Zaheer had picked up an ankle injury during his
batting stay in the last ODI. India being 1-3
down will find it tough to play without Zaheer
who has been their chief destroyer with the ball
on this tour.
Zaheer had twisted his left ankle while taking a
single during his important ninth wicket
partnership with Piyush Chawla. The fast bowler
had scored a significant unbeaten 20. His first
spell was a fiery one in which he went through
the defenses of Alastair Cook but in his second
spell when India needed to desperately break the
partnership between Bopara and Broad, Zaheer
looked absolutely flat. India will have no
choice but to bring Munaf Patel back into the
team if Zaheer gets ruled out. It’s a do-or-die
for India on Sunday as if they lose the match,
then they lose the series as well!
For England, Andrew
Flintoff is yet again facing an injury problem.
If it was a knee injury that forced him out of
the 3rd ODI, this time he is down with ankle
soreness yet again! It was just recently that
Flintoff had been operated on his ankle for a
third time in his career! Flintoff is likely to
be rested as a precautionary measure and will be
replaced by Chris Tremlett. England as such has
been quite used playing without Andrew Flintoff
in their side. Their bowling has been led
superbly well by Jimmy Anderson.
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