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'Injury to insult': India crisis worsens as bowler goes down

India's Navdeep Saini has become the latest injury concern for the touring side, suffering a suspected groin problem. (Photo by DAVID KAPERNICK/AFP via Getty Images)
India's Navdeep Saini has become the latest injury concern for the touring side, suffering a suspected groin problem. (Photo by DAVID KAPERNICK/AFP via Getty Images)

India's injury-cursed tour of Australia has continued at the Gabba, where paceman Navdeep Saini appeared to tweak a groin muscle.

Saini was unable to complete his eighth over, which came after lunch on day one of the series-deciding fourth Test.

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The fast bowler's reaction to a dropped catch from captain Ajinkya Rahane, who grassed a regulation chance offered by Marnus Labuschagne on 37, was telling.

Saini was seemingly more bothered by whatever muscle he tweaked in his delivery stride, immediately calling for assistance from team medicos.

The 28-year-old trudged off the field soon after, with Rohit Sharma completing the over.

India are yet to provide an update on the suspected groin injury.

Saini briefly returned to field during Friday's drinks break in the post-lunch session.

But the right-armer limped into the dressing room soon after.

India battling horrific injury crisis

India's hopes of retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy, which they can achieve with a draw or win in Brisbane, would take a massive hit if Saini is unable to bowl again.

The visitors' fast-bowling depth has already been tested in remarkable fashion this summer, as reflected by the fact that third-gamer Mohammed Siraj is now leading India's most inexperienced Test attack since 1946.

Spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was unable to prove his fitness for the final Test in Brisbane, where fellow quicks Mohammed Shami (arm), Umesh Yadav (calf), Ishant Sharma (side), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh) are notably absent.

Bumrah, batsman Hanuma Vihari (hamstring), offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin (back) and left-arm tweaker Ravindra Jadeja (thumb) were all enforced omissions for the fourth Test.

The depleted visitors are also unable to call upon Virat Kohli (paternity leave) and KL Rahul (wrist).

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