India in England, 2007

England sweat on Harmison fitness

Cricinfo staff

July 14, 2007

Harmison is in doubt © Getty Images

England face an anxious wait on Steve Harmison's fitness for next week's first Test against India at Lord's. The squad will be announced on Sunday, but may not feature Harmison after he aggravated his "non-serious hernia" injury during Durham's Championship match against Sussex at Horsham on Friday. He bowled just five overs.

Harmison originally sustained the injury at his home ground nearly a month ago during England's fourth Test win against the West Indies at Durham. He chose not to have immediate surgery after being advised he could continue to play in the India series and Durham's FPT final against Hampshire on August 18 - the county's first senior Lord's final.

Durham coach Geoff Cook said: "Steve has aggravated the injury and is pretty sore. England have been informed. He has been bowling brilliantly for Durham, as he proved in our last Championship match against Surrey [when he claimed seven wickets] and these things can flare up.

"There is no reason to suggest at the moment that surgery will need to be brought forward but all we can say is that we have to see how he is."

Harmison, after a wayward start to the season, took 10 wickets in the final two Tests of the West Indies series. If concerns remain over his fitness, England are likely to be cautious in selection, particularly as Andrew Flintoff is still sidelined with an ankle injury.

They could name a 12-man squad with James Anderson, the fast bowled, added to the side that completed a 3-0 Test series win against the West Indies.

But with England set to continue with their policy of three specialist pace bowlers in addition to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, they will want to be sure all their quicks are fully fit for the challenge of playing against a strong India batting line-up.

England's only other concern remains the form of batsman Andrew Strauss. His first-innings 77 at Durham was only his second fifty in his last 17 Test innings. In the last month his only senior cricket has consisted of two successive ducks in two Middlesex Twenty20s and a 17-ball one against India while captaining England Lions against India at Chelmsford.

But Strauss, putting his own form to one side, said he was confident England could give new coach Peter Moores a second successive Test series victory in his first season in charge. "In the England team, we like to think we should beat everyone at home - and India should be no exception to that," he said. "India are a very good Test match side, there's no doubt about that. They've always been very strong in their batting and that will remain the case."

© Cricinfo

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Players/Umpires

Andrew Flintoff

Steve Harmison

Series/Tournaments

India tour of Ireland, England and Scotland

Teams

England

India