Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan warms up during a training session at the Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai – AFPRelated Articles
Both India and Sri Lanka were on Thursday confronted with injury problems over the fitness of bowlers, Asish Nehra and Muttiah Muralitharan and Angelo Mathews, and the visitors have already asked veteran Chaminda Vaas and young Suraj Randiv were called-up as cover.
Late in the night reports came in that Nehra, who took two wickets in the semifinal win against Pakistan, had injured the middle finger of his right hand and may be ruled out of Saturday's summit clash.
Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal said efforts were on to get the left-arm pacer fit for the final but if he does not recover in time then he will be ruled out. In case Nehra has to sit out, then the chances of off-spinner R. Ashwin coming back into the playing eleven appear bright.
"Chaminda Vaas and Suraj Randiv will be included in the Sri Lankan squad for the World Cup final as cover for the injured (Muttiah) Muralitharan and (Angelo) Mathews," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
Vaas, 37 and Randiv, 26, were due to fly out to Mumbai later Thursday ahead of Saturday's title match against India.
Muralitharan, who turns 39 next month, has played through the six-week tournament despite suffering hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.
But coach Trevor Bayliss insisted on Thursday that Muralitharan, who will retire after Saturday's final, will play against India.
"Chances are good that Murali will play," said Bayliss. "He completed 10 overs in the semi-final, and such is the character of the man that he will play even with discomfort."
All-rounder Mathews, 23, picked up a right-side strain while fielding during Tuesday's semi-final win against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka, 1996 winners and 2007 finalists, want to win the cup for legendary spinner Muralitharan who will retire after a world record haul of 800 Test and 534 one-day wickets.
Vaas, who was part of the 1996 winning team, played his last Test in July 2009 having taken 355 wickets.
He has 400 one-day wickets but his last international was against India in August 2008 where he dismissed Yuvraj Singh for a duck.
Randiv, who made his one-day debut against India in 2009, has taken 22 ODI wickets.
He last played when Sri Lanka toured Australia for a one-day series last year.
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