Rahul injured, doubtful for SA series

Update 6: Rahul undergoes surgery in Bangalore

Rahul Dravid, underwent an operation on his jaw on Friday and the one hour procedure was successful as per the doctors. He has been advised rest for three weeks after which he would resume his cricketing services



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Update 5: Bad news : Rahul not included in team for 1st test match against SA

Dravid, who fractured his cheekbone after getting hit by a Shahadat Hossain bouncer in Mirpur, was advised three weeks' rest, the release said. It also said that Yuvraj was out for the whole series. Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, though, said they would reassess the injury status after the first Test.

"Dravid was very keen to play but the doctors have advised him rest as a precautionary measure," Srikkanth said. "We have selected the best possible team considering the number of injuries that the Indian team have suffered in the recent series.

"The team has been selected just for the first Test. We will take a call on the team for the second Test after getting the fitness report of the injured players."

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Update 4: Good news

It’s not official, but the national selectors appear to have got an indication that both Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman would be available for the two-Test series against South Africa.

On reaching Bangalore, via Mumbai, Dravid said: “We’ll see how it goes over the next couple of days... I’ll be consulting doctors and the physios.”

“There’s been no formal communication from the Board, but it seems the selectors have been given to understand that both Dravid and Laxman are going to be available... They’ve probably begun planning keeping that in mind,” a well-placed source told The Telegraph.

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Update 3:
Rahul has been discharged from the hospital. He will be returning home for further treatment.
“He has got quite a nasty injury to his face,” Kirsten said. “He is currently staying in Bangladesh. Later, he will consult a specialist to find out what needs to be done and how long he would be out. For Rahul, we don’t have the long-term prognosis.”




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Update 2 :

Rahul Dravid, admitted to Dhaka’s Square Hospital after being felled by a Shahadat Hossain bouncer, on Monday afternoon, was “much better” when The Telegraph contacted the doctor on duty there at 10.45 pm.“Dravid’s much better... In fact, he’s sleeping right now... He had soup in the evening and, a short while ago, biscuits in milk... He has also been given daab water,” the doctor, who requested not to be identified, said.

The doctor added: “Dravid’s not in pain, but that’s because he’s on pain-killers... He’ll remain on a liquid diet till assessed by the orthopaedic surgeon (Dr Fazlul Huq) under whom he’s been admitted... Surgery isn’t planned...”. Dravid’s in a “VIP room” on the 12th floor and not in the ICU, as mentioned in some reports coming out of the Bangladesh capital.

Among the technically most accomplished of all time, Dravid still got deceived by the dual bounce and ended up ducking into the bouncer in over No.2 of the second new ball.The blow fractured his left jaw bone.Fortunately, thanks to the helmet, Dravid didn’t suffer a more serious injury. The ball, being new, was hard and anything may have happened to the former captain.

Dravid was then on 111 (29th Test hundred) and his availability for the home series against South Africa, beginning on February 6, is now in question.It would be a huge setback if he’s not available.The Bangladesh quicks, incidentally, had been unusually aggressive during the day. That, too, on a wicket with “unpredictable bounce”, as the other centurion, Sachin Tendulkar, put it.

Earlier in the evening, when contacted on his cellphone, Team India manager Arshad Ayub stated: “Dravid’s stable... There’s no head injury... His condition will be reviewed tomorrow (Tuesday)... He didn’t mention anything about wanting to go back and I didn’t raise the issue either...”

It’s not official, but Dravid won’t be playing any further role in the ongoing Test, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

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Update 1:

Dravid has been kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Square Hospital in Dhaka under observation as a precautionary measure.

"He is comparatively better than before," Fazlul Haq, the attending doctor in the hospital, told Cricinfo. "He will be here for a night and he is likely to be discharged tomorrow."

Asked whether it was a fracture, Haq said: "It's not exactly a fracture, more a sort of severe sprain. We are just keeping him here as a precaution."

However, Mostafa Kamal, the BCB president, who visited the hosptial, said Dravid had sustained "light fractures".

"I just met Rahul, he is feeling fine and is having his meal," Kamal said. "My doctors have told me that there are couple of light fractures, nothing serious. He will be fine."

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A very bad news for all of us - Rahul Dravid is injured (possibility of fractured jaw) and has been admitted to ICU in one of the hospitals in Dhaka. He may not be available for the test matches against South Africa.
This injury occurred when an attempted bouncer from Shahadat Hussain didn't rise enough and hit Rahul below his ear. He had to retire hurt on the score of 111* (Nelson) when the partnership between him and Sachin was 222 (double Nelson) .
Get well soon Rahul!