Munaf to join India team as Ishant’s cover

Indian medium pacer Munaf Patel is heading to Sri Lanka to strengthen the team's depleted bowling attack for the ongoing tri-series, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said .

Less than a week after returning from Sri Lanka, Munaf Patel will be back here on Friday to join his teammates for the tri-series.

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According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Munaf will join as an "additional member" of squad for the tri-series.

Munaf's addition to the 15-member squad that boasts of four medium-pacers indicates that not all is well with Ishant Sharma and Abhimanyu Mithun, both of whom were overworked during the three-Test series against the hosts.

While Ishant missed India's opening tie against New Zealand due to a sore left ankle, Mithun suffered a heat stroke after bowling just four overs against the Kiwis.

Munaf, it may be recalled, was called in as Sreesanth's replacement in the first week of the Test series.

The bowler did not feature in a match and he flew back after being ignored for the one-dayers.

Ishant, meanwhile, bowled in the nets for the first time after the Test series on Thursday evening at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

Coach, Gary Kirsten, bowling coach, Eric Simons, and mental conditioning coach, Paddy Upton, accompanied Ishant, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for a session that lasted almost two hours.

While team’s physio therapaist Nitin Patel kept a close watch on Ishant, who bowled for almost half an hour, Gary Kirsten focussed on getting the batsmen's technique right, which was exposed during the 200-run mauling by New Zealand on Tuesday, night.