Injured Yuvraj to consult hand specialist

Yuvraj Singh is expected to travel to London tomorrow to show his injured left hand to a specialist. Yuvraj was hit on his left hand, trying to defend a short-pitched delivery from Tim Bresnan in the second session of play on Monday. Yuvraj was at the receiving end of quite a few short balls from the pair of Bresnan and Stuart Broad and he never could thwart them convincingly.

After India lost the second Test by a demoralising 319 runs yesterday, Yuvraj went to a hospital in neighbouring Derby. Based on the scans a decision was taken to show him to a hand specialist in London. Meanwhile Harbhajan Singh, who was suffering from stomach injury also went to the same hospital on Tuesday morning and is reportedly fit.

Yuvraj, who scored a resolute 62 in the first innings in the heavy defeat in the second Test, was never allowed to settle down on Monday as Andrew Strauss set attacking fields to supplement the fiery pace and lengths of his fast bowlers. India were an abysmal 37 for 4 when Yuvraj came to the crease. With only MS Dhoni left among the specialists, India needed stability from the Sachin Tendulkar-Yuvraj combination. The accuracy and the fierceness of the England fast bowlers, however, nipped such aspirations in the bud.

Bresnan banged in Yuvraj's eleventh delivery short of a length, and it climbed fast towards the batsman's neck but he skipped and tried to tap the ball safely towards the leg side. The ball hit him on the index finger of the left hand and Yuvraj threw the bat away, immediately wincing in pain.

A few overs later Strauss placed Alastair Cook in an area that could best be described as silly slip, yards away from Yuvraj's off stump. Bresnan this time came up with a spitting bouncer which Yuvraj tried fending in an awkward fashion only to loop a catch to Cook.

It is unclear if Yuvraj will be back to join the rest of the team in Northampton where the Indians play a two-day tour match starting this Friday. India would be hoping Yuvraj is fit for selection ahead of the third Test that begins at Edgbaston on August 10.