yuvi misses CT.........;(

India's Champions Trophy campaign has suffered a major setback even before it has started with Yuvraj Singh fracturing his finger during a practice session in Johannesburg. The injury will sideline him for six weeks and Virat Kohli will fly to South Africa as a replacement as soon as the formalities are completed.

Yuvraj injured his finger while fielding and did not take part in the net sessions that followed. He was attended to by the physio Nitin Patel before heading for a medical examination, which the fracture.

India were plagued with injuries going into the tournament. Virender Sehwag did not travel to South Africa due to a shoulder injury, while Gautam Gambhir, who did not feature in the team's only practice match against New Zealand, is nursing a groin strain.

India's tournament opener is against Pakistan on Saturday after which they will take on Australia and West Indies next week.

SACHIN'S NEW RECORD......

Sachin Tendulkar scored a sublime 138 to help India clinch the final of the tri-series against Sri Lanka on Monday. The maestro averages a staggering 56 in finals of tournaments. In 2009, he averages close to 60 runs per innings. Take a look:-

Sachin Tendulkar... ODIs Runs HS Ave 100

In Finals 32 1627 138 56.10 6

Vs Sri Lanka 74 2749 138 44.33 8

In Sri Lanka 29 1023 138 40.92 4

When India win 215 10324 186* 57.35 32

In 2009 9 473 163* 59.12 2

Overall 428 16895 186* 44.57 44

INDIA LEAVES FOR SA .........

The Indian cricket team on Friday left to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in South Africa from September 22.

The team left by the Dubai-bound flight from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport here and will take a connecting flight from Dubai to Johannesburg. The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 22 to October 5. India was the joint winner along with host Sri Lanka in 2002. The team will play a warm-up match against New Zealand on Septeber 20.

Placed in Group A along with Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies, India will open its league engagements on September 26 against Pakistan.

The squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Abhishek Nayar, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, R.P.Singh, Ishant Sharma, Amith Mishra, Dinesh Karthik. Coach: Gary Kirsten. — PTI

Gambhir loses top status to Sangakkara

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir on Monday lost the No. 1 Test batsman’s tag to Kumar Sangakkara who reclaimed the spot for the fourth time in his career after brilliant knocks against New Zealand.

The Sri Lanka captain followed up his half-century in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand with an exquisite 109, his 20th Test century, to reclaim the top position from Gambhir.

Mahela Jayawardene and middle-order batsmen Thilan Samaraweera have both achieved career-best rankings. While Jayawardena has jumped four places to third position Samaraweera’s 11th century in what was his 54th Test has put him just outside the top 10 in 12th position.

Dravid returns to one-day squad

Rahul Dravid has, as expected, made a return to India's ODI plans with his inclusion in the squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy next month. Dravid replaces Rohit Sharma, who managed 15 runs in three ODI innings in the West Indies and 43 runs in three innings against major opposition in the World Twenty20. The selectors didn't risk taking Virender Sehwag, who is yet to fully recover from his shoulder injury, to the Champions Trophy. He was not expected to make it to the Sri Lanka tri-series anyway.

Dravid last played an ODI for India in October 2007, but his form in the second IPL season in South Africa - where the Champions Trophy will be held - and the vulnerability of India's younger middle-order batsmen in the recent World Twenty20 prompted the selectors to fall back on his experience and technique.

Sachin Tendulkar, who had opted out of the West Indies ODIs, makes a comeback. Suresh Raina, who was out because of a hairline fracture of the thumb, also returns. Amit Mishra breaks into the ODI squad, replacing Pragyan Ojha as the back-up spinner to Harbhajan Singh, on the back of his impressive showings in the IPL and the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.

Terming Dravid as "one of the best players India has produced", Harbhajan Singh welcomed his and Tendulkar's return. "We have some senior players like Tendulkar and Dravid back in the side, so we have the required experience," he said. "It is important to do well as after the tri-series, we have important tournament like Champions Trophy coming up. Responsibility will be there on all the players."

Dinesh Karthik, who came in for the West Indies ODIs as replacement for Sehwag, and Abhishek Nayar, who edged out Ravindra Jadeja, have retained their places.

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, said it was the "best possible Indian team". "It's a very balanced team and we are confident they would go on to win the Champions Trophy in South Africa," Srikkanth said.

India one-day squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, and Abhishek Nayar

Eight players undergo fitness tests

Eight cricketers, including skipper M.S. Dhoni, went through a fitness test under the supervision of coach Gary Kirsten at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Monday.

The tests were basically a platform for Kirsten to interact with the players who have had a rare lay-off for more than a month.

Apart from Dhoni, the others who attended the fitness drill were Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, R.P. Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Praveen Kumar, Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma.

The three-hour tests were for players from North, Central and East Zones. Yuvraj Singh will attend the session in Mumbai on Tuesday with players from West and South. Virender Sehwag, recovering from a shoulder injury, was not present.

The focus was on sprint repeat, a drill that involves assessment of strong strides. The weather was not really amiable for such a fitness drill and the players too were hardly excited. Most of them have been training regularly during the one-month lay-off with concentration on gym work.

As Kirsten noted at the end of the session, the idea was to assess their physical condition.

He said the results of this test would be compared with the results of tests to be taken at the National Cricket Academy during the four-day preparatory camp from August 27 for the three-nation tournament in Sri Lanka to be held from Sept. 8.

This is the beginning of our preparations for the coming season,” said Kirsten, expressing satisfaction with the way the players responded.

Zaheer ruled out of CT !!!!

Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy starting late September, after undergoing a major shoulder surgery in South Africa last month. It is feared that he could miss the seven-match home ODI series against Australia in November-December as well if the recovery doesn't go according to plan. But a BCCI media release on Friday said Zaheer was responding well to the surgery and was expected to return to international cricket towards the end of the year, suggesting he could be in contention for the Australia series.

"Zaheer Khan had an arthroscopic labral repair in his left shoulder on 13th July 2009 done by the Johannesburg-based Dr Mark Ferguson," the release said. "Zaheer is undergoing rehabilitation in South Africa and is recovering very well. He is expected to return to international cricket by the end of this year."

Zaheer will return to India from South Africa on August 9. After 10 days, he will head back to South Africa for further rehabilitation on his shoulder, the release said.

He picked up the injury to his bowling shoulder during the second edition of the IPL while playing for the Mumbai Indians. Zaheer fell on his shoulder while fielding and was subsequently advised rest. Zaheer aggravated the injury during the World Twenty20 and had to undergo surgery in South Africa in July, causing him to miss the four-match ODI series in West Indies.

The 30-year-old has been advised a minimum of three months' rest. Ferguson, who carried out the surgery, has successfully treated Sachin Tendulkar and former India players Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble in the past.

The team for the ICC event has to be selected by August 23. The national selectors will be meeting on August 16 to pick the squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka starting September 8 and the Champions Trophy, beginning on September 25. Zaheer had been named in a list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy.

India will be thankful that the injury is not likely to cost Zaheer any Test matches, if the recovery goes to plan. Although a big loss, it should be relatively easier to replace Zaheer in the shorter formats. It gives both RP Singh and Munaf Patel an opportunity to present better claims for their inclusion in the side, and Praveen Kumar a chance to cement his place as third seamer. Ashish Nehra has also sprung up as an option after he had a fairly successful return to international cricket in the ODIs in West Indies.