Leipus feels Laxman will be fit for final

Colombo: After initially announcing that V. V. S. Laxman would almost surely go home, the Team India thinktank has had a change of heart. In physio Andrew Leipus’ opinion, he will be fit in a couple of days and, so, no replacement is being asked for.

Laxman, it may be recalled, missed Sunday’s crucial Asia Cup game versus Pakistan.

Of course, his availability won’t matter if India can’t put it across Sri Lanka on Tuesday, in their concluding phase-II match. But, if India win, Laxman’s availability for the August 1 final assumes importance.

According to The Telegraph’s sources, a replacement — Hemang Badani, in all probability — would have been formally sought had the India A team not been touring Zimbabwe. Badani, after all, is very much there as vice-captain and it would almost have been impossible for him to arrive in time for the Sri Lanka game.

The other option was to get a third-stringer — that, too, when the season hadn’t even begun at home. Among other things, it would have meant devaluing the India cap and, so, that thought was quickly consigned to the ocean.

As a source put it: “When nobody can make it well before Tuesday’s match, what’s the point of a replacement? Leipus is confident Laxman is going to be fit for the final... If needed, a review will be made after the Sri Lanka game...”

Laxman, hit in the left knee region by Zaheer Khan during nets last Friday, was present at Monday afternoon’s workout at the Premadasa Stadium, He himself said the swelling had subsided and that the pain was much less.

The week before, Laxman was hit in the same area (again at nets) by Ashish Nehra.