July 25, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 09, 1428

LONDON, July 24: Matthew Hoggard was ruled out of the second Test against India on Monday with the back injury that saw him miss the drawn series opener here at Lord’s. England, with the next match in this three-Test series starting at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Friday, do not believe there is enough time for the experienced swing bowler to regain full fitness following the back spasms that saw him ruled him out before play at Lord’s started last Thursday.

Instead, the selectors have kept faith with the same starting XI that featured in the first Test as well as Stuart Broad, released last week after debutant Chris Tremlett won the race to fill England’s last pace bowling spot.

Broad returned to Grace Road for Leicestershire’s clash with Middlesex and took a wicket in the five overs he was allowed in a rain-marred match.

England chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: “We did not consider Matthew Hoggard for this (second) Test on cricketing grounds. He is making progress in his recovery from a back injury and came through a preliminary fitness test at the ECB National Cricket Centre today (Monday).

Hoggard was to be reassessed on Tuesday to see if there was any response to Monday’s test and no decision had yet been made as to whether he would be available for domestic cricket later this week, according to Graveney.

He praised the performance of an England bowling attack that, despite missing the injured trio of Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmison, came within a wicket of a memorable Lord’s win.

Squad for second Test:

Michael Vaughan (captain), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (w/k), Ryan Sidebottom, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar, James Anderson, Stuart Broad.—AFP