Hopes soar on Laxman's back

Having sweated on Laxman’s fitness for the last three days, India received a huge boost on Friday evening when the stylish Hyderabadi came away unscathed from a fitness test at the Chinnaswamy stadium, a day before India and Australia do battle in the second Test.

The sore back that hampered his movements in Mohali hasn’t healed entirely, but Laxman went through a regimen of batting, running between the wickets and holding catches with little discomfort.

That there was no stiffness in the back even till late in the evening was another encouraging sign, but India will wait until tomorrow before making a final call.

Already without first Test hero Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, India can ill afford to be minus Laxman too when play begins at 9:30 am at a venue where the hosts haven’t won a Test for 15 years.

Should Laxman not be available, it could mean a Test debut for Saurashtra batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.