Pakistan in disarray ahead of must-win match

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KOLKATA, Nov 29 (Cricinfo): It's hard to remember when last a team was in such disarray before a must-win Test match. Pakistan's injury problems began as a bothersome aside but have now taken centre stage as they have only three fit bowlers going into the Kolkata Test.
India, on the other hand, are sitting pretty, with their one doubtful starter, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, having recovered fully from a twisted ankle. An SOS has been sent to the Pakistan selectors, but with flight connectivity to Kolkata not being the greatest, it will be a challenge to get someone in with enough time to spare to take the field in the second Test.
More than a few experts have been surprised by the rise of Sohail Tanvir, who with his unorthodox action, delivering not quite off the wrong foot but releasing the ball before his leading foot lands, first was a novelty in Twenty20 cricket, and then sneaked into the one-day team.
Now, with one Test under his belt, he leads Pakistan's pace attack, with Umar Gul out, and Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami struggling with chest infection and illness. Tanvir has Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman as his only fully fit bowling partners.
Although India must be secretly boosted by Pakistan's troubles, Anil Kumble insists his team are not thinking of the composition of the opposition side. "Ideally we should look to control what we can control. The team is raring to go and that is a good sign," said Kumble a day before the game.
It's not a bad approach to take, for Pakistan could just be at their most dangerous if Shoaib or Sami, or ideally for them, both, are somehow fit when play begins Friday, although that seems desperately unlikely.
Pakistan now truly have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and this will mean that any relief they get is a positive and should boost them going into the game.
India, meanwhile, have a choice of their own to make, with a thought to bring in a third spinner in Murali Kartik.