Australia are grappling with injury worries over three of their key pacemen ahead of the second match of their one-day international series against India. Pace spearhead Brett Lee is struggling with a sore elbow, while Mitchell Johnson and James Hopes are also nursing injuries picked up during the first match here on Sunday.
"Lee got a little bit sore in his elbow towards the end of his second bowling spell," captain Ricky Ponting said Monday after Australia won the opener by four runs to go 1-0 up in the seven-match series. "He came off and had it looked at, then came back on and fielded for the rest of the game, but right at the moment we are not sure."
Lee, 32, has been Australia's form bowler, regaining his pace and rhythm during the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa after missing the Ashes contest with England due to an injury. The fast bowler also played a key role with both the bat and ball in New South Wales' title victory in a Twenty20 competition in India last week. Lee, who has 324 wickets from 186 one-dayers, gave his side a crucial breakthrough on Sunday when he dismissed big-hitting Indian opener Virender Sehwag for 13.
Johnson hurt his ankle while fielding early in the match and appeared to be in significant pain. He left the field briefly but returned to complete his 10 overs and take two wickets. Hopes picked up a leg injury after he had sent down just two overs and had to be replaced by part-time spinner Adam Voges.
The world champions have two more specialist fast bowlers in their 15-member squad in Doug Bollinger and Ben Hifenhaus but they have not played against India before. Australian media manager Lachy Patterson said a decision on the injured bowlers would be taken after assessing their fitness in Nagpur which hosts the second match of the series on Wednesday.
Australia have already been hit by injuries to key middle-order batsman Michael Clarke, first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, pacer Nathan Bracken and batsman Callum Ferguson. India's Yuvraj Singh has had a finger injury but the aggressive left-hander is still likely to turn out for the hosts in Nagpur.
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