Three summoned for fitness tests

Rakesh Patel, Ajit Agarkar and Debashish Mohanty have been called up for the fitness tests, to be conducted for the South Africa-bound Indian team on September 22 and 23 in Bombay, Board of Control for Crcket in India selection committee chairman Chandu Borde informed on Wednesday.

Speaking over telephone from Pune, Borde said: ''After the injuries to Zaheer Khan, Hemang Badani and Ashish Nehra, we have decided to call these three for the fitness test. We [all selectors] will watch them and then decide who to include in the final squad,'' he added.

The Indian team, which was beset with injury problems for the last six months or so, seemed to be getting back to peak fitness, with all the players reporting fit for the South African tour. However, with just a week left for the team to leave for South Africa, it received its first setback with V V S Laxman pulling out, saying post surgery he wasn't sure whether his knee would be able to withstand the vigours of such an ardous tour.

Then on Tuesday, the BCCI-appointed doctor Anant Joshi ruled Zaheer Khan out of the tour, saying he had a problem with his in-step and needed more rest.

Laxman's replacement, Hemang Badani also pulled out with a back injury, while Nehra was declared unfit on Wednesday morning.