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Azhar ruled out of first Test

Mohammad Azharuddin has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa, to be played at Wankhede Stadium from February 24, through injury.

The national selectors have decided to replace him in the 14-member Indian squad with Ajay Jadeja.

On February 20, batting for Board President's XI in the three day warm-up game against South Africa, Azhar sustained an injury when a quick lifter from Morganantu Hayward crashed into his glove, trapping it against the bat handle.

Initially it was thought to be a straightforward injury. Uday Sinha, the Cricket Club of India functionary who is deputed to look after the players, took Azhar to a CCI-appointed doctor who diagnosed it as a simple injury requiring 48 hours of rest.

Subsequently, however, Dr Kinjal Suratwala, the BCCI's official doctor on the spot in Bombay, was called in for consultation. Dr Suratwala in turn roped in the services of orthopaedic specialist Dr Nitin Gajjar, who runs a private clinic in the Mumbai suburb Khar. Drs Suratwala and Gajjar diagnosed it as a fracture and indicated that there was extensive damage to the soft tissue in the affected finger.

This, in the opinion of the medicos, ruled Azhar out of participating in the first Test, in which he was hoping to make a comeback to the side after being dropped from the squad for the earlier Australian tour.

The injury will be reviewed after a week, before a decision can be arrived at about when Azhar will be fit to play again.

Ironically, in the Board President's XI second innings, Nayan Mongia -- who, along with Azhar, was looking to get back into the national squad -- took a snorter from Hayward first ball he faced, and had his fingers crushed against the bat handle.

It will be recalled that Mongia had suffered from a hairline fracture of the little finger of his right hand, during the World Cup in England last year. This time round, Mongia walked back holding his injured hand. The India wicket-keeper has been taken for a check-up, and at this point in time the nature and extent of his injury is not clear.

The national selectors, not wanting to take chances, are understood to have asked Bombay wicket-keeper Samir Dighe, who was part of the national squad that played the CUB triseries in Australia recently, to stand by.

Dighe was in fact expected to fly to Delhi later this evening, in order to turn out for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy Super Six tie against Delhi. Pending developments, Dighe has been told to remain in Mumbai while the extent and scope of Mongia's injury is examined.

Meanwhile, backstage buzz is that people close to Mohammad Azharuddin are not satisfied with the diagnosis, and have taken the former India captain to another doctor for a second opinion. The last word, thus, on the drama surrounding Azhar's injury remains yet to be spoken.