Fracture rules Srinath out of Sri Lanka series

Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath will play no further part in the Test series against Sri Lanka because of a hand fracture sustained in the first match, coach John Wright said on Saturday.

"He had an X-ray done this morning and there is a fracture. He is ruled out of the next two matches," he said.

Srinath was hit on his left glove by a rising ball from Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Fernando in the first Test at Galle, which the hosts won by 10 wickets on Friday.

Team physio Andrew Leipus said the fracture on the fifth metacarpal -- the bone connecting the little finger to the wrist -- will take at least a month to heal.

Srinath, 32, said he was returning home later in the day and will be treated in Bangalore.

Srinath suffered the injury while batting on Wednesday in the first innings of the Galle match which Sri Lanka won before lunch on the fourth day.

He retired hurt after facing only three balls and did not bat in the Indian second innings which ended when the ninth wicket fell.

He did, however, bowl with his hand taped and managed to take five wickets for 114 runs.

India were dismissed for 187 and 180 and Sri Lanka, who piled up 362 in their first innings, reached six without loss to claim the game and go 1-0 up in the series.

"He had an X-Ray done in Galle, but it did not reveal the fracture because of swelling in the hand," team physio Andrew Leipus said.

It is Srinath's second hand injury in the past few months after he broke his right index finger while batting in the first Test of a three-match home series against Australia in February.

He missed the next two, but India bounced back to claim the series 2-1.

"He was wearing a protective inner glove on his right hand only to be struck on his left. It has been a bad season for the team," Leipus said.

Srinath is the second bowler to be injured after left-arm Ashish Nehra was ruled out because of a groin injury.

Wright and skipper Sourav Ganguly said they will talk to Board of Control for Cricket in India officials to get a replacement before the second Test, which starts in Kandy on Wednesday.

"He is also out, what do we do?" said a disappointed Ganguly.

Srinath's injury comes as the latest blow to the team which is without their best batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is nursing a hairline fracture in his right foot, and Vangipurappu Laxman.

Laxman operation

Wright said Laxman, who was ruled out of the Sri Lankan Test series because of ligament tear in his right knee, underwent surgery in a Sydney hospital two days ago.

"I got an e-mail from him today saying he had the arthroscopy done a couple of days ago. He will take about three to four weeks to recover," he said.

The third Test will be played at Colombo from August 29.

Our correspondent adds: Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jaywant Lele told rediff.com on Saturday morning it is unlikely that there will be a replacement for Srinath. He said the team in Sri Lanka has an extra seamer who could fill the void.

Lele added a decision on sending a replacement will only be taken after the board gets in touch with the team management, which could not be contacted as it is in transit.

Mail Cricket Editor