Doctor denies submitting fitness certificate to Ramesh

A Bangalore-based orthopaedic surgeon has denied having submitted any certificate relating to Sadagopan Ramesh's fitness. Speaking exclusively to this correspondent over telephone from Bangalore's Hosmat hospital, Dr. Thomas Chandy, who treated Ramesh for his injury, denied media reports relating to Ramesh's injury. ``I have not issued any certificate to Ramesh and according to my knowledge, Ramesh is fully recovered. His bone has completely healed. He had been merely advised to undergo certain physiotherapy treatment".

The 24-year-old left handed opening batsman looked a certainty for the second Test at Bangalore but he had to be left out at the last minute after it was discovered he had not fully recovered from a left-thumb fracture, sustained in Australia, when he was struck by a delivery from Brett Lee. It had been described as an intro articular fracture base of the distal phalanx. Two pins were inserted to fix the fracture and he was again examined by Chandy before the commencement of the Bangalore Test.

Chandy is an orthopaedic surgeon and a post-graduate in sports medicine. After having worked abroad for 20 years, he has been running a hospital at Bangalore, which is the first of its kind in India treating cases for orthopaedics, sports medicine, arthritis and accident trauma. Chandy has successfuly treated the injuries to various Indian cricketers. Javagal Srinath, after his rotator-cuff injury sought Chandy's treatment. Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid have also taken his advice and guidance for minor injuries during their cricketing careers.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association had planned to utilise the services of Chandy's colleagues in case of any emergency that might have arisen during the just concluded India-South Africa Test at Bangalore.

Ramesh, when contacted on his cell-phone at Chennai, was optimistic. He is likely to declare himself fit even before the three-week rest suggested by team physio Andrew Leipus. "I feel much better. I am likely to be available for the last two one dayers (Vadodara on March 17 and Nagpur on March 19) and the Sharjah tour'' said Ramesh.