New Delhi: Indian pacer S. Sreesanth will be out of action for at least two weeks. He has cracked a bone on his left shoulder and is in danger of missing not just the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, but also the early part of the tour to Australia.

The Australians, who are waiting to hit back at Sreesanth for his aggressive behaviour during the recent India tour, may be able to see him only if he recovers on time for the Australian tour set to commence immediately after the third and final Test in Bangalore next month.

The team for the Australian tour will be announced during the last Test in Bangalore and Sreesanth's chances will depend on his speedy recovery and the medical report.

India will play the first match of the Australian tour on December 20 against Victoria at Melbourne and the first Test will start from December 26.

Cracked bone

Sreesanth cracked his bone while fielding during the final one-dayer against Pakistan in Jaipur. He had arrived here with the team and even joined the team during the practice session before the Test match, but did not bowl. Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed yesterday that Sreesanth and R.P. Singh will miss the second Test in Kolkata.

Singh is suffering from thigh strain and is yet to fully recover. During practice sessions he has been performing the duty of an umpire, checking whether bowlers are over-stepping.

The second Test begins in Kolkata on November 30.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan team management yesterday rubbished reports of their cricketers getting e-mail threats and expressed satisfaction with the security cover provided to them on their ongoing tour of India.

Team manager Talat Ali said the team had been provided with good security cover.

"We are satisfied and comfortable with the way our security is being handled," he said.

At a glance: Kumble-Laxman tango

Kumble and Laxman put up their 7th 50-plus stand in Test cricket. The break-up of all their 50 partnerships are as follows:

6th wkt: 1 occasion. 7th wkt: 3 times. 8th wkt: 1 occasion. 9th wkt: 1 occasion. 10th wkt: 1 occasion.

Pakistan continue without a hundred opening partnership for the 15th Test in a row. The last 100-plus opening partnership they had in a Test was 109 (between Salman Butt and Imran Farhat) against India, in Karachi, in January 2006.

Pakistan's highest opening stand for 2007 is 90 (between Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal) against South africa, in Lahore, in October 2007.

When V.V.S. Laxman took the catch of Yasir Hameed at silly point, it was the 25th catch he had taken off the bowling of Anil Kumble.

Rahul Dravid took his 50th Test catch off the bowling of Anil Kumble when he caught Salman Butt. The Dravid-Kumble combination is the best non wicket-keeper-bowler wicket-taking combination for India. The record for the most fielder-bowler combination catches is held by Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan. Non-wicketkeeper-bowler catching combinations in Tests:

63 catches: c Jayawardene b Muralitharan
51 catches: c M Taylor b Warne
50 catches: c Dravid b Kumble
39 catches: c M Waugh b Warne
39 catches: c Sobers b Gibbs

Salman Butt scored his 5th Test 50 and his second against India.

-Mohandas Menon