India were dealt a blow when frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 100th one-dayer, suffered a left side-strain-type injury during the first one-day worldwide against South Africa at Kanpur on Sunday.
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The 29-year-old was only able to bowl four of his allocated 10 overs before being forced to leave the field partway through South Africa’s innings.
Ashwin injured himself while making a diving stop.
Second ODI of the series is scheduled to be played in Indore on October 14. But he was seen holding his left side when he started walking back to his run-up.
“Harbhajan Singh has been included in the Indian squad, and he will join the team before the second match of the series in Indore”. The BCCI, in a release, said Harbhajan Singh has been called up as cover, though it did not confirm for how long Ashwin might be sidelined. He did not complete his fourth over and left the field.
It would be a hard task for Team India now to win the five-match ODI series after losing the opener, without the main strike bowler.
Ashwin’s availability in the remainder of the series will be subject to medical assessment.
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Harbhajan Singh was a regular in the Indian team across all the formats before he was dropped in 2011.
