Giles gamble continues

England's tour party to India escaped further dilution yesterday, when Craig White, Ashley Giles and James Ormond all came through fitness tests in Birmingham.

But the news for England supporters is not as rosy as it seems. Giles, who took 17 Test wickets in Pakistan last winter, is still thought to be a month away from full match readiness, and he has only a slim chance of playing in the first Test at Mohali on Dec 3.

Giles's last appearance on a cricket field came on July 25, in a oneday match between Warwickshire and Yorkshire. Five days later he underwent surgery on his chronic Achilles tendon problem, and has been recuperating ever since.

The decision to persist with a man who has not bowled on grass for over three months must rate as a massive gamble. From one perspective it shows the high regard in which Giles is held, as a handy tail-end batsman as well as the only spinner to show real penetration during Duncan Fletcher's reign as national coach.

Viewed from another angle, the move suggests a touch of desperation. England know they are embarking on a difficult tour with a clutch of greenhorn bowlers, none more so than the off-spin pairing of Richard Dawson and Martyn Ball. And they know the only viable alternative is Phil Tufnell, a man Fletcher appears to view as a disruptive influence.

The selectors' faint hope is that the Mohali pitch for the first Test will be the greenest, giving their seamers an advantage while Giles prepares for the next two games.

Giles said:"There have been occasions when I thought that I wouldn't get fit and times when I've found it difficult to keep to the rehabilitation programme devised for me, because it's very repetitive and there's no immediate prospect of playing."