01 April,2011 02:28 PM IST | | AFP
Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra has been ruled out of Saturday's World Cup final against Sri Lanka due to a fractured finger, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said.
Nehra sustained the injury during Wednesday's semi-final against Pakistan where, selected surprisingly ahead of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, he claimed 2-33 in India's 29-run victory.
"Ashish is most certainly out of the final because he has multiple fractures on a finger in the right hand," Dhoni said.
The skipper said no decision had been made whether Nehra will be replaced in the team by an additional seamer in Shanthakumaran Sreesanth or a second spinner in Ashwin.
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"The Mumbai wicket usually has a bit of bounce and a third seamer gives me the option to manoevure the attack," he said.
"But if we feel there could be turn in the wicket as the game progresses, Ashwin will come into the picture. It helps to have such good options."
The captain, however, insisted that left-hand batsman Gautam Gambhir was fit to play after recovering from a minor hamstring strain he developed while fielding against Pakistan.
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