MUMBAI, India, (Reuters) – India were given a boost before their Champions Trophy campaign when in-form opener Gautam Gambhir was passed fit to return after injury.
The left-hander has recovered from a groin strain and will travel with the team to South Africa, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Thursday.
India, already without the explosive Virender Sehwag, were sweating on Gambhir’s fitness after the Delhi batsman missed this month’s tri-series in Sri Lanka.
“Yes we will miss Sehwag… Gambhir’s return will strengthen the team and he’s one player who can really make a difference,” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told a news conference on Thursday.
India won the Colombo tournament, also involving New Zealand and the hosts, and go into the prestigious eight-team event as one of the favourites after not having lost a one-day series in the past year. South Africa has been a happing hunting ground for India who were runners-up in the one-day World Cup there in 2003 and Twenty20 World Cup champions four years later.
PRELIMINARY
PHASE
India have been grouped with defending and world champions Australia, Twenty20 champions Pakistan and former champions West Indies in the preliminary phase.
“We are in a tough group and it is important to be at our best from the start,” said Dhoni. “We are looking at the things which we need to do and we are well prepared for the tournament.”
Joint-winners with hosts Sri Lanka of the 2002 Champions Trophy, India also recalled the experienced Rahul Dravid to the one-day team last month to bolster their batting on pacy South African pitches at the Sept. 22-Oct. 5 tournament.
A young Indian batting unit struggled against short-pitched bowling in this year’s Twenty20 World Cup in England.
“It’s good to have a player like him (Dravid) batting at number three especially in South Africa where conditions suit fast bowlers,” said Dhoni.
“We have quite a few stroke players lower down the order and it’s important to give them a platform where they can launch their innings.”
Ishant Sharma will spearhead the five-man pace attack in the absence of experienced left-armer Zaheer Khan, who has been ruled out until the end of the year after undergoing surgery on an injured shoulder.