India face Gambhir fitness dilemma by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	G Gambhir
Event:	ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 21st September 2009

 

India opener Gautam Gambhir's fitness is hitting India's build up to the Champions Trophy which gets underway on Tuesday.

 

India certainly look in trouble as the humiliating loss to New Zealand in their only warm-up game is now coupled with uncertainty over Gambhir's fitness.

 

After staying briefly on top of the ICC rankings and clinching the triangular series in Sri Lanka recently, Indians were humbled by 103 runs by a side that had lost to a local team in its previous match.

 

As far as Gambhir is concerned it could well be a race against time for the left-hander as India take on Pakistan in their tournament opener in Centurion.

 

So would be the concern about the striking prowess of pace duo of Ishant Sharma and R P Singh, from whom the side would expect some timely breakthrough during the tournament.

 

Besides, choice of the training venue has also added to Indians' worry. They are putting up at Potchefstroom, where the conditions are more or less sub-continental, for three days.

 

"It would have been better if we were to train in Johannesburg or Centurion," star batsman Rahul Dravid has admitted already.