England’s drive to top lifted by Zaheer injury woe

The 32-year-old pace bowler, who has already missed one Test through a hamstring injury, will now be ruled out until November after it was revealed he needs ankle surgery.

Zaheer sustained a hamstring injury in the first Test at Lord’s after bowling just 13.3 overs, which ruled him out of the second Test.

Although he returned to action in the two-day match against Northamptonshire, he bowled just three overs before leaving the field for treatment.

It is a bitter blow for the tourists who have struggled to cope with a determined English onslaught in the first two Tests.

India have called up fellow left-armer RP Singh for the remainder of the tour, which continues on Wednesday with the third Test at Edgbaston.

The 25-year-old Singh last played a Test match in April 2008 and an ODI in September 2009.

A statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India read: “Zaheer Khan is suffering from a recurrent right hamstring strain and a right ankle impingement.

“He will require a surgery for his ankle, followed by intensive rehabilitation for both the ankle and hamstring. He will need at least 14-16 weeks to recover completely.

“He will therefore not be able to participate in the ongoing Test series and subsequent T20 International and ODI series against England.”

News of Zaheer’s absence will no doubt only increase a confidence already running high throughout the England camp, the home side have also been forced into a minor readjustment of their own after it became clear No 3 batsman Jonathan Trott would not be fit in time for the third Test match which starts at his home ground of Edgbaston on Wednesday morning.

Ravi Bopara, rather than the uncapped James Taylor, has been brought in to replace Trott with Steven Finn providing cover for Chris Tremlett, who is expected to be fit after his hamstring trouble and back spasms.

It was hoped Trott, who injured himself diving in the field during England’s 319-run victory in the second Test at Nottingham, would be ready for Birmingham.

But, having been an ever-present at No 3 in England’s successful Ashes triumph last winter and playing in 23 consecutive Tests since making a series-clinching century on debut against Australia at The Oval in 2009, the 30-year-old will have to watch from the sidelines as his team-mates try to create more history this week on his home ground.

Trott’s Warwickshire teammate Ian Bell will stride out at No 3, in the form of his life on his home ground as England strive to go top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings if they inflict a third successive defeat on current incumbents India.

Yorkshire’s Tim Bresnan, a revelation at Trent Bridge with both bat and ball after replacing Tremlett, will surely keep his place in the starting XI.

Tremlett is therefore the most likely to miss out again. But there is the outside chance England react to Trott’s unavailability by selecting an equal split of five specialist batsmen – wicketkeeper Matt Prior moving up to number six, and leaving out Bopara – and five bowlers.

That is a formula they have swerved since it appeared to backfire in a landslide Ashes Test defeat at Headingley two years ago, and England may reason that now – on the verge of that No 1 status – is not the time to gamble.

England have never previously occupied Test cricket’s No 1 spot since the ICC rankings were introduced a decade ago.

They have been at pains, from captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower down, to insist they will not allow their possible elevation to distract them from the task at hand.

National selector Geoff Miller was ‘on message’ at the weekend when announcing the Third Test squad when he kept the focus on beating India in Birmingham, and leaving other consequences to take care of themselves.

“We have seen some very pleasing performances during the first two Test matches,” he said.

“But there is still plenty more to do in this series, and the squad and management will be determined to carry the momentum from recent weeks through to the remaining two Tests and push for a comprehensive series victory.”

It seems too that England, predictably, are favouring their trusty long batting line-up over a power-packed attack.

“Chris Tremlett is recovering well from the back spasms that ruled him out of the second Test – and although we are expecting him to be fully fit ahead of Wednesday, we felt it was prudent to include an extra seam bowler at this stage,” added Miller.

Bopara has not played a Test since August 2009, having endured a nightmare run of scores at No 3 against Australia.

He was thought a surefire selection for the first Test of this summer against Sri Lanka, until his middle-order rival Eoin Morgan took 193 off the tourists for the England Lions at Derby, a fixture in which Bopara did not do himself justice.

He was again outscored by rising star and fellow Lions hopeful Taylor and Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow against Sri Lanka A at Scarborough last week, but having been pipped at the post once already this season, appears to have benefited from the store England set in consistency of selection.