Fitness fundamentals

Faisal Shariff

It seems to be the curse of Indian cricket, that nothing can ever happen in linear, straightforward, fashion -- not even a fitness test.

As per schedule, the South Africa-bound Indian team was scheduled to undergo a fitness test on September 22 and 23, just prior to their scheduled departure on September 24.

The tests were to be conducted at the Wankhede stadium in Bombay -- and Board secretary Jaywant Lele announced that it would be Bombay-based medical expert Dr Anant Joshi, and not the team's physio Andrew Leipus, who would conduct the tests.

Obviously, eyebrows went up. Equally obviously, Lele had his own spin to put on it. "Joshi has spoken to Leipus and knows what to do," the Board secretary said, bypassing the question of why such secondhand means had to be resorted to, when the far simpler option was to have Leipus conduct the tests.

The mystery acquired depth against the background of the fact that as many as five members of the squad -- Ashish Nehra, Javagal Srinath, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman -- were coming back after injury layoffs of various lengths, while several others such as Zaheer Khan and even, it was rumoured, skipper Sourav Ganguly had injuries of varying degrees of severity.

Leipus has long believed that Indian players tend to hide minor injuries in order to remain in the team, and that this is one big reason for the increasing incidences of players breaking down.

Leipus promptly went off to South Africa, and busied himself with making arrangements for the training of the Indian team once it landed there. For his part, the physio said, he had no issues with Dr Joshi conducting the tests. Speaking on phone from his South African base, Leipus in fact told us that he was quite impressed by the way Dr Joshi handled Tendulkar's injury.

Dr Joshi, though, appears to have wisened up. He probably figures that if he does end up doing the tests and any of the players breaks down soon after landing in SA, he's going to be in the dock, with the media and fans figuring that he was the front-man for a BCCI-orchestrated plan to send players below full fitness on the tour.

So now, he has gone and asked the board to bring back Leipus, saying that he himself does not want to conduct the tests. Discretion, obviously, is the better part of valour.

Then again, it could be that Joshi's memory is a bit longer than that of the media and the fans. Around nine years back, Ravi Shastri underwent knee surgery to correct an injury sustained while recording India’s maiden double ton on Australian soil.

Considered a doubtful starter for the World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, Shastri underwent a fitness test at the Wankhede stadium under the eye of Dr Arun Samsi (currently affiliated to the Mumbai Cricket Association) and was cleared to tour.

The injury resurfaced right in the middle of the campaign, reducing its options and forcing it to carry Shastri as a passenger for the remainder of the tournament. India, famously, failed to make it to the semifinals on that occasion.

Another instance relates to Javagal Srinath, who after carrying a shoulder injury for a long time, was cleared for the 1998 Caribbean tour by then physio Dr Ali Irani, only to break down within a week of setting foot in the West Indies.

More recently, Sadagoppan Ramesh, who sustained a finger injury during India's 1999-2000 tour of Australia, made himself available for the home series against South Africa, proclaiming that his injury had healed. Leipus, on that occasion, took one look at the finger and asked him to pack his bags. India eventually went in to the tour with just one opener in the one-Test old Wasim Jaffer, and Rahul Dravid was asked to open alongside him.

For the first time in 14 years, India lost a home series.

As matters stand now, Leipus will fly down from South Africa on September 22, conduct the tests, then fly back again with the team on September 24.

"It is better that Leipus comes down because he has first hand information on the players and ultimately, he is the one who will be with the team in South Africa," says Lele. Now.

Why the same logic didn't apply earlier, when the board initially named Dr Joshi to conduct the tests, is, of course, not a question likely to be answered.

Meanwhile, Leipus, speaking from South Africa, said he was a touch miffed at reports in sections of the media questioning his efficacy, in light of the large number of injuries to team players.

"Hey, I am as gutted by all the injuries as the next guy," Leipus told us. "It is really, really disappointing, but some things are unavoidable no matter who is in charge. It’s just that everything has happened at the same time.

"Sachin, Laxman and Srinath had freak injuries, the sort you can’t do anything about; Nehra needed the rest to protect his future, and to prevent a breakdown; Kumble had a chronic injury comparable to the one Shane Warne had and that required a shoulder operation; and as for Ganguly's slight niggle, well, he basically doesn't bowl too much and in that game in Sri Lanka, he overdid it a bit, and that is all."

Meanwhile, we are told that selection committee chairman Chandu Borde and board secretary Jaywant Lele will also be present for the fitness tests, which will be held on the afternoon of September 22 and the morning of September 23.

No, Borde's and Lele's fitness will not be tested -- only the team's.

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