England injury woes

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Simon Jones, being hailed as their best pace bowler, is out of first test. Like the captain, Michael Vaughn, he flies back home with knee problems... this follows the earlier announcement that their mainstay opener and batsman, Marcus Trescothick is flying back home for 'personal reasons'.

England are really beleaguered with injuries and Flintoff, announced as the new captain in Vaughn's absence, is going to have a huge challenge to take his team through the tour... but India also better not get complacent. I doubt Greg Chappell will let that happen.. but still, we always run the risk of being over-confident since we are playing at home, coming fresh from a morale-boosting 4-1 ODI series victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, have seen a Board Presidents XI team humiliate the English side, have a relatively young and energetic but inexperienced side, and add to that all these English injury woes....

(Also read Nasser Hussain on England's tour woes )