Southampton: Speedster Lakshmipathy Balaji?s groin injury isn?t exactly an ordinary one and, as with Sachin Tendulkar?s recovery from the tennis elbow, physio Andrew Leipus can?t put a date to his return.

For the Champions Trophy, he has already been replaced by Amit Bhandari.

?Balaji?s body balance has to be got right... It?s not a simple injury and can?t be explained in a few words,? Leipus told The Telegraph on Sunday.

Speaking at the team hotel in neighbouring Portsmouth, he added: ?Ashish Nehra had a similar injury not too long ago and had to strengthen the pelvic region... It?s going to be no different for Balaji, who is such a workhorse.?

According to Leipus, that injury is more common among footballers and little can be done except being very particular with the rehab ? one reason why Balaji isn?t being sent home in a hurry.

As Leipus explained: ?Even if he goes back (to Chennai), what will he do? At least when he?s with the team, I can monitor the rehab and, if needed, make changes in the programme...?

The Indians, meanwhile, leave for Birmingham on Monday. However, the first workout specific to the game against Pakistan (next Sunday) is going to be on Tuesday.

?Basically, there are two off days,? informed manager Goutam Das Gupta.

While V.V.S. Laxman and Mohammed Kaif have struck form, the continuing lack of runs from Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh is causing much concern.

[Incidentally, not much behind on the worries?-scale is the number of sundries being conceded, specially the wides ? 19 versus Kenya.]

Captain Sourav Ganguly?s faith in the duo, though, remains intact. Fortunately, he is himself back among the runs ? only, both at Lord?s (against England) and here, he ought to have got those ten runs to take his tally of ODI hundreds to 24.

In time, this double miss will hurt.

Postscript: Sourav spent much of the day in London, making the trip to see off wife Dona and daughter Sana.