India further weakened as Harbhajan and Yuvraj are ruled out

It was already feared off-spinner Harbhajan was out of next week’s third Test at Edgbaston because of an abdominal injury, while batsman Yuvraj, pictured above left with Sachin Tendulkar, sustained a painful blow on the left hand during India’s defeat against their hosts at Trent Bridge.

They will be replaced by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and batsman Virat Kohli. Harbhajan was largely ineffective at Nottingham, as was his opposite number Graeme Swann in a match dominated by seamers and batsmen. But it transpired the world’s leading active wicket-taker was bowling through the pain of what has since been diagnosed as a grade one lower abdominal tear, which will prevent him playing for the next three weeks.

The BCCI said: “Yuvraj Singh has fractured his left index finger, and Harbhajan Singh has an abdominal muscle strain. While Yuvraj Singh’s injury may take around four weeks to recover, Harbhajan Singh is likely to recover in three weeks’ time.”