A fitness crisis was brewing in the bowling department for India with Ajit Agarkar and Munaf Patel picking varying kinds of injuries on the tour of South Africa.
Agarkar was most certainly out for a month after suffering a groin injury in the Twenty20 international at Johannesburg on Friday, while Munaf is hoping to recover from a sore ankle in time for the first Test starting on December 15, a team source said on Saturday.
Agarkar, not part of the Test team, has been ruled out of the final one-dayer in Centurion on Sunday and is due to return home on Monday.
Thereafter, it would be a race against time for the Mumbai medium pacer to be fit in time for the home series against West Indies in January.
The team source, however, said that Munaf, despite a persistent sore ankle, would stay back for the remainder of the tour.
According to sources, Munaf could also be tried in the four-day practice game at Potchefstroom though a close eye would be kept on him lest the ankle injury flares up again.
"Since in Test matches he could be required to bowl a lot of overs, Munaf could be tried in the four-day game," said the team source.
"He will remain with the team and is expected to play his role."
Patel reportedly developed the soreness in his ankle after he had finished his spell in a ICC Champions' Trophy match in Mohali.
But Patel has been laid low since the second one-day international in Durban on November 22, raising anxiety within the dressing room if he would be alright for the battle in Tests.
Patel has been an integral part of Indian dressing room in both Tests and one-dayers after his debut against England earlier this year.
He has borne the responsibility manfully and was so accurate and persistent in his line and length in the West Indies that captain Rahul Dravid rated him ahead of other medium pacers "as the most consistent in line and direction during his association with the Indian team."
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