India won’t be at No. 1 for long - Ian Chappell

They may be numerous for now but former Australian skipper Ian Chappell says India do not have the bowling strength to keep the top of International Cricket Council's Test rankings on a long-term basis.

"I don't think great teams are built on opening batting partnerships. But to me, there is a far more important thing, and this is one reason why I don't rate India as a long-term No.1, " said Chappell.

"I think you have got to have two world class bowlers in your line-up to be a long-term successful cricket team. That is where India is diminishing down at the moment," he pointed out.

Ian Chappell said Indians do not even have minimum one champion bowler in their line-up.

"When I look at the averages and the strike-rates for India in the last 12 months, I don't see two champion bowlers.

In fact, I am struggling to find one champion bowler in that line-up.

"They have got some good bowlers. Sure, they have got a very good batting line-up, but the bowling is really not good enough to see them win consistently all around the world," he said.

Out of the 20 Tests India have played in the past two years, they have won 9 tests and lost 3. Three of the wins have come against Australia but Chappell said those victory were after the Aussies lost stalwarts like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist.

"I would have thought it was a greater achievement if they had caught up with Australia while Australia was still very much a great side, rather than waiting for Australia to come back to the field," Chappell said.

"That to me has been the disappointing thing. It seems to me that the other teams have almost thrown their hands and said that it's hard to beat them, we will just wait for them to fall back and then we will catch them," he added.

Gautam Gambhir unavailable for 3rd Test

India will be without the services of Gautam Gambhir for the 3rd cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Mumbai as the left-handed opening batsman will be attending his sister's wedding on December 3.

December is usually the wedding season in North India.

Gautam Gambhir's unavailability means a spot will be open in the team for an opener. The man expected to benefit is Murali Vijay who is part of the team and has played for India before when Gambhir was unavailable.

Murali Vijay had previous filled in for a suspended Gambhir against Australia, and looked solid in his debut match.

The Senior Selection Committee maintained the same side for the 3rd Test to be played from December 2-6 but said because of Gautam Gambhir's unavailability, the strength of the team will be fourteen.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has retained the same side for the 3rd Test of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, to be played at Mumbai from 2 December 2009 to 6 December 2009," said BCCI secretary N Srinivasan.

"Gambhir will not be available for the Test, on account of his sister's wedding on 3 December. The strength of the team for the Mumbai Test will thus be fourteen," he added.

Indian Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Pragyan Ojha and S Sreesanth.

Dilhara Fernando to replace injured Thilan Thushara

Sri Lankan left-arm Faster Thilan Thushara was today ruled out of the ongoing Test series against India due to a shoulder injury and will be replaced by pacer Dilhara Fernando in the visitors' 15-member squad.

Thushara has been announced unfit for around four weeks and would be sent home to undertake treatment.

"Thilan Thushara, will return back to Sri Lanka due to a shoulder injury, and as such he will not be match fit for approximately 2 to 4 weeks," the Sri Lankan Cricket said in a statement today.

"Thilan will be sent back and Dilhara Fernando will replace him," it added.

Sri Lanka is now playing the first Test of three-match series at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad. Thushara was not comprised in the playing XI for the 1st Test match.

Sri Lanka bank on bowling variety ahead of Tests

After experiencing a day of unseasonably rains that brought Mumbai to an idle, the Sri Lankan Cricket team woke up to a clearer sky on Thursday. But the rain stayed away, the killing it left behind ensured that the visitors could do little in terms of their preparation for the Three Test series against India. The Sri Lankans reached the ground more than an hour before the Board President's XI team did, but they had to sit around waiting for the umpires before heading indoors again. There was a pitch inspection at 1 pm, but it prove to be a mere procedure as play was called off again.

Team manager Brendon Kuruppu said that the visitors used the unexpected time off beneficially. "We have missed two full days of practice, but we've exhausted our time well, practicing indoors and utilizing the facilities," the former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman said. "Going to Ahmedabad earlier than planned in order to get in an additional outdoor session before the first Test is an option," he said.

Sri Lanka have a very poor history in India, They never won the test Series. Particularly in the game's long format 14 Tests without ever really coming close to winning. But Brendon Kuruppu insists that the present lot not only has an extra spring in its stride, but also a venomous sting in its tail. "We've done well in Tests in the last two years all over the world. This young lot is full with confidence," he says. "Our batsmen have done well here on most occasions. But never before has a Lankan team landed in India with such a strong bowling attack," he says.

In Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka have three different spinners. While Muralitharan may not have the great record in India, he did return home with 16 wickets in 2005, and the Indian batsmen are well alert of the perils associated with Mendis. Herath, meanwhile, has reinvented himself in recent times, outperforming even Muralitharan during the recent home series against Pakistan and New Zealand.