Zaheer, Sreesanth to Miss West Indies Tests

Mumbai: Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth have been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies, further weakening a squad that is already missing several first-choice players.

Zaheer has a right ankle problem, and Sreesanth has a right elbow problem and both are undergoing rehabilitation. Abhimanyu Mithun and Praveen Kumar have been named as their replacements in the Test squad.

Shoulder injuries to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had earlier forced the selectors to opt for a pair of inexperienced openers in M Vijay and the uncapped Abhinav Mukund. Sachin Tendulkar wanted to spend some time with his family and opted out of the tour as well.

While the batting was hit hard by these withdrawals, the bowling initially wore a stronger look with Zaheer - who skipped the limited-overs leg of the tour - expected to lead a full-strength attack to the Caribbean. His and Sreesanth's absence will now add further fuel to the debate on the impact of a cramped IPL schedule on the Indian team.

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