Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal will undergo a fitness test to assess his finger injury before Thursday's fourth one-dayer against India, skipper Shoaib Malik said.
Akmal aggravated the injury during Monday's third game, which India won to lead the five-match series 2-1. Uncapped stumper Sarfraz Ahmed has been called up as standby.
"We will have a fitness test and then we will decide," Malik told a news conference on Wednesday.
Akmal, who has struggled with the bat, dropped a catch off the very first delivery in the third one-dayer in Kanpur and India piled up 294 runs before going on to win by 46 runs.
"This match will be crucial," Malik said. "We will get no further chance (to stay in the series). We will go all out."
Pakistan's biggest concern has been over the absence of a good opening partner for in-form Salman Butt with both Akmal, and Shahid Afridi flopping. The problem also plagued them in the preceding home one-day series loss to South Africa.
Butt scored a career-best 129 in Kanpur but ran out of partners before he was ninth out.
Malik did not rule out promoting himself to open the innings despite being under extra pressure after scoring 2, 25 and 12 so far in the series.
{{/usCountry}}Malik did not rule out promoting himself to open the innings despite being under extra pressure after scoring 2, 25 and 12 so far in the series.
{{/usCountry}}"We have flexibility in our batting line-up and we can decide depending on the situation," he said.