Zaheer ruled out of remaining Tests

India's chances of fighting back from the 1-0 deficit against Australia have been dealt a huge blow with the news that Zaheer Khan, who missed the second Test in Sydney with a left heel injury, has been ruled out of the entire series. He has been ruled out for four to six weeks and will leave for India tomorrow while his replacement VRV Singh, the right-arm medium fast bowler, will fly to Australia on Friday.

Zaheer has been India's leading bowler over the last year - in nine Tests in 2007, he took 41 wickets at 25.73, including a nine-wicket haul in India's win in Nottingham. However, he has also been plagued by fitness concerns. His current injury, which cropped up during practice a day before the second Test, was the same one that kept him out of the third Test against Pakistan in Bangalore last month.

Zaheer first picked up the injury during the one-dayers in England in August. He had a similar fitness problem on India's last tour to Australia in 2003-04, pulling out of the second Test in Adelaide with hamstring trouble, playing the third match and then missing the fourth. He also pulled a muscle in his right leg during India's next tour, to Pakistan, and was forced to fly home after the first Test in Multan.

Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said Sreesanth and Munaf Patel were not considered as neither had proved his match fitness. Munaf is recovering from back spasms that had ruled him out of the third Test against Pakistan.

A shoulder injury has kept Sreesanth out of international cricket since the ODI series against Pakistan in November. He has ignored doctors' advice to undergo surgery and has instead opted for ayurvedic treatment. The two have been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Friday, where they will work with Dav Whatmore. Sreesanth said he has been bowling at the nets and feels good about his recovery. "Even today I bowled at the NCA indoor nets," Sreesanth said.

These injuries are the latest in a series of fitness concerns for India's fast bowlers. John Gloster, the team's physiotherapist, had sent a 14-page report to the Indian board regarding the injuries suffered by the players. He said most players were forced to go through games carrying niggles because there was simply no time for them to either recover from injuries or do the rehabilitation work needed.

VRV last played for India in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong in May last year. He has taken 15 wickets at 33.26 in four Ranji matches for Punjab this season. He said the call-up was a godsend and that his experience of Australian conditions - he was one of three to receive the annual Border-Gavaskar scholarship in 2005 - would be valuable.

"I was in Australia two years back and have some knowledge about the nature of pitches there," he told PTI. "I will play according to my strength and bowl according to the nature of the wicket. I hope to perform and do well."