Injury scare plagues India; Mohit Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni to stay back

Back-up seamers Mohit Sharma and Dhawal Kulkarni have been asked to stay put in Australia until further notice. Given that the Indian camp resembles an infirmary of sorts, the BCCI has advised the team management to include the duo for the team's World Cup preparatory camp starting on Tuesday in Adelaide.

What prompted the BCCI to extend the duo's sojourn was the uncertainty surrounding the fitness of key players Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja.

It is reliably learnt that the trio of bowlers will undergo fitness tests on February 7. Unless and until team physio Nitin Patel declares them fit and fine, they will be not be allowed to take part in the first warm-up game against Australia on February 8. India will also play a warm-up tie against Afghanistan on February 10 before kicking off their Group 'B' campaign against Pakistan on February 15. Each of these games will be played at the Adelaide Oval.

Mohit and Dhawal were part of the 17-member squad for the tri-series that Australia won on Sunday. While Haryana bowler Mohit played in India's final round-robin game against England, Dhawal had no such luck. The Mumbaikar warmed the bench all along. But they could well make the World Cup squad if two of Ishant, Kumar and Jadeja don't recover within a week.