Lara laid low with suspected chickenpox

West Indies' hopes of salvaging the third Test have been dealt a huge blow, after Brian Lara was laid low with a suspected case of chickenpox. Lara, who turned 34 on Friday, spent much of his birthday in the dressing-room, supposedly with a touch of `flu.

If confirmed, Lara would be the second West Indian in the series to contract chickenpox. Jermaine Lawson was forced to withdraw from last week's second Test, and Ricardo Powell has also suffered the illness recently.

It is terrible bad luck for Lara, who spent several months out of the game last year after contracting hepatitis, but has been in prime form in this series, with two centuries and a 91 in four innings.