This is one place where wishing the Indian team by saying "Break a leg" is strictly forbidden. "Health Check" takes you into the hitherto-unexplored realms of Andrew Leipus and Adrian Le Roux. Keeping weekly tabs on the aches and pains, or hopefully lack thereof, of the Indian team, "Health Check" gives you the complete low-down on the fitness levels of the touring side.

Fitness levels turn critical

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Fitness levels in the Indian team have now attracted the attention of the television commentators, with one particular player drawing flak as a magnet draws iron filings. Zaheer Khan, whose bowling on the first day was particularly rusty, now finds himself in real danger of being replaced by Ashish Nehra for the second Test.

Michael Holding, no mean ball-slinger himself, noted Zaheer's performance with some cutting remarks. "How old is he? So tired in the very first two days of the first Test of a tour? I just can't believe it," said Holding.

Geoffrey Boycott, as is his wont, was even more scathing. "Does he know what people do with the unwilling horses at a race-course? Those are simply shot dead. The team management should immediately have a talk with him and learn his problems," remarked the former English opener.

Informed that Nehra too was injury prone, Boycott's amazement grew. "I just fail to understand why a budding bowler should not be concerned about his fitness. Everybody knows that fitness is the most important factor for a fast bowler. Why are they not concerned about their own future?," said Boycott. "How many Tests has he played? Maybe four or five. Add some 10 to 12 one-dayers. Those numbers should are not enough to make somebody injury-prone."

Maybe it was a lack of competitive match action that afflicted the Indians, for Zaheer certainly wasn't the only one. Anil Kumble, leaving for the hotel at the end of the second day's play, was holding an ice-pack to his shoulder, while VVS Laxman had a bigger pack tied to his knee.

But it hasn't just been bad news. Harbhajan Singh, sorely missed at Guyana, will be back for the Trinidad Test. The off-spinner rolled his arm over in the nets even as the first Test was under way, and coach John Wright said, "Things are looking bright." Sourav Ganguly too expected to name Harbhajan in the playing eleven at Port-of-Spain. More than anything else, the Indian think-tank must be hoping that a good performance in the second Test will push much of the criticism to the background.

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