Sehwag's arrival should cheer up the Indians

After a largely cheerless three weeks in England, having suffered heavy defeats and injury-related setbacks, India received much-needed relief.

Virender Sehwag is set to arrive in London early on Wednesday morning before joining the squad ahead of the two-day practice match in Northampton which starts on Friday. Sehwag had been named in the squad when it was selected on July 2 with the provision that he would miss the first fortnight to rehabilitate his shoulder after surgery.

India will hope to have its regular pair of Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag in place before the third Test, scheduled at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from August 10. India captain M.S. Dhoni confirmed that Gambhir, who suffered a bruised elbow when he was hit by a full-blooded sweep at short-leg in the first Test, would be fit.

The next week will be crucial for India, which has a 0-2 deficit to make up. Its squad has a mix of cricketers who have either played too much cricket or too little — the team has therefore appeared both jaded and underdone. England's superiority in fitness and preparation has been obvious, and India, in the next few days, will be racing against time to set itself in order for a turnaround.

To loud cheers, Zaheer Khan bowled a few deliveries on one of the adjoining pitches after the second Test concluded. The extent of his recovery was unclear — he made certain he didn't over-extend himself. The temptation will be to play both Sehwag and Zaheer, but their game-readiness will have to be carefully assessed.

Also on the injured list is Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner managed only nine overs in the second innings here at Trent Bridge. There has been no official word on the nature of his niggle, but Dhoni and Rahul Dravid, when asked during press conferences, have said it is stomach-muscle injury. Harbhajan didn't seem to be in difficulty when making 46 on Monday. India will need him fit and in better form.

Asked about the injuries that have plagued the team, Dhoni said the injury-management was the best it could be.

You can't really do anything about what happens on the field, was his message. Injuries are a tricky matter needing expert knowledge. Scheduling plays a part, as does the quality of recovery between matches and training sessions.

Considering how important fitness is, the BCCI might want to look at Italian football team A.C. Milan's MilanLab, the world-famous facility with scientists, doctors, and specialist coaches known for their success in injury-management and fitness-enhancement.

Pressing issues

But other pressing issues remain: the nature of wickets at home, the quality of the domestic game and the commitment to long-duration cricket.

India has become and stayed No. 1 almost despite the system because it has had cricketers capable of defining performances. It might still hold on to its spot, but it needs to ask itself if it has done everything it can to be the best in the world.