Ahmedabad: England’s Steven Finn is likely to miss the first Test against India after skipping Tuesday’s practice but pace colleague Stuart Broad appeared to be fit for the match starting on Thursday.
Finn, 23, limped off the field on the opening day of England’s first warm-up match with a right thigh strain while vice-captain Broad suffered a bruised left heel during the second practice game.
Broad, however, bowled at full steam on Tuesday and is expected to open the bowling with James Anderson when the first of four Tests begins at the Motera stadium. “The one thing you would say is, if there was a realistic chance of Finny playing then he probably would have had a long bowl today,” England wicketkeeper Matt Prior told reporters after the day’s practice.
“We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow as well... It’s another day, they might be saving it. With an injury like this, every day counts.
“But he looks good, he feels good, it’s coming along brilliantly. So we will just have to wait and see.”
The Middlesex paceman had been expected to be a key member of England’s tour of the sub-continent after impressing in a limited-overs series in India last year and Prior admitted it would be a setback for the team if Finn was ruled out. “It’s a setback. I’m sure the coach and captain would want to be able to choose from every player that’s out here,” Prior said. “But we have a lot of strength and depth in the squad - it’s one thing that’s made our squad so strong over the last couple of years.
“If Finny’s not available, there’s another guy that can step in and do as good a job...that’s the way we are looking going forward.”
