Harmison ruled out of entire series

Steve Harmison will miss the entire India Test series with a hernia injury. Harmison will have an operation today which will rule him out for four to six weeks.

Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Chris Tremlett are all in line for the third seamer's spot, although Tremlett only has an outside chance after being called up to the squad as cover on Monday.

Peter Moores confirmed the news, saying: "Unfortunately for him the hernia has come back and now it's all about getting the operation done as quickly as possible."

It was nearly a month ago that Harmison first sustained the injury, during the final Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street but Harmison played on. He then did further damage in Durham's Championship match against Sussex at Horsham.

But Moores defended the decision to delay Harmison's treatment. "If we'd operated on him then, the timeframe realistically for a sportsman is six weeks plus a couple of weeks to get back and bowl, that really would put him out of these two Tests, so we'd only have him for the last Test.

"It was felt there was a good chance he could manage it but at Sussex he did it fielding, they think. The timeframe between the two series, you could say get an injury right, but anybody who'd bowled knows once you've got fit, you've got six weeks of muscle wasteage to overcome and building up you've got to get bowling fit before you play.

"Steve's one of those bowlers who needs to bowl. Realistically, it was the right decision." Harmison is now likely to also miss the Friends Provident Trophy final at Lord's on 18 August. His next international duty will probably be the Tests in Sri Lanka in December.

Moores admitted that the situation was frustrating but added that England had little choice. "You have to work with what you've got," he said. "The good thing is we have Ryan Sidebottom in, who is the sort of senior, mature exponent of what he does. He may not have a lot of Test experience, but he's got a lot of first-class experience.

"It's better to look forward than to look back," said Moores. "We have to keep working as hard as we can on all our bowlers. It's the same with Freddie - when he's back he's got to be ready to play. We'll be looking all the time to keep our people on the park."

There is very little prospect of Tremlett being required for the Test, and only a spate of further injuries will prevent him from playing for Hampshire at Chester-le-Street on Friday.

"The choice for the final pace bowling position will be between James Anderson and Stuart Broad," said David Graveney, the chairman of selectors yesterday. "They are different types of bowlers and the final decision will depend on our assessment of the pitch and the weather conditions at Lord's."

Revised squad Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett.