Yuvraj targets last two one-dayers for comeback

Yuvraj Singh, the Indian middle-order batsman, has targeted the last two one-dayers against West Indies to stage his international comeback, three months after he tore a ligament in the knee while training in Mohali. He was named in the provisional 30-member World Cup squad on Saturday.

"I would like to play the last two ODIs against the West Indies or the matches against Sri Lanka," Yuvraj said. "It's important for me to play a few games before the World Cup. But I can't give a timeframe."

Yuvraj said he would be training with the Indian team at Nagpur on January 17 and 18 before proceeding to Kolkata to play three Twenty20 games for his employers Indian Airlines.

"I played a game (50-over match with the Mumbai Under-19 probables) after two and a half months," he said. "I wanted to field first for five overs and then bat, and did so for 25 to 30 overs. I felt really good."

Yuvraj also underwent a test by the Primus RS (Rehabilitation System) machine at the Saifee Hospital in Mumbai in the presence of Dr. Anant Joshi, the Indian cricket board physician, his son Dr Mithun Joshi and Andrew Leipus, the former Indian team physio.

Anant Joshi described the outcome of the test as very satisfactory and added that it was important that Yuvraj's return began at the lower level and not a first-class game straightaway. "It gave us an objective report of the rehab process while the physical test done at the CCI (two days ago) was a subjective analysis," he said.

Joshi also said it was now left to John Gloster, the current Indian team physio, to monitor his progress, but the final call, whether he was ready to play at the top level, would be entirely Yuvraj's. He said that Yuvraj was lucky that he did not have to undergo surgery, which would have ruled him out for upto nine months.

"When we examined the injury after ten days we felt it could be set right without surgery. He's lucky as otherwise it would have taken between six to nine months for him to make a comeback. The player was also very determined and showed a lot of grit, and the rehab staff also did phenomenal work."