Ishant picks up freak injury during practice

India's pace spearhead Ishant Sharma suffered a freak injury during a practice session but the team management said it was not serious and that he will be fit for the third and final Test against the West Indies, starting in Roseau, Dominica on Wednesday.

Ishant injured himself during a football match which Team India played at Windsor Park on Monday.

The visitors -- who refrained from bowling, batting and fielding sessions -- came over to the venue of the third and final Test rather late and restricted themselves to a session of fun football.

However, everyone was left stunned when Praveen Kumar leaped in the air and accidentally head-butted the left cheekbone of Ishant.

The impact was so hard that Ishant lay flat on his back for a good two minutes, causing panic in the Indian ranks.

The physio and masseur of the team rushed from the dressing room and lifted Ishant, escorting him out of the ground.

Ishant seemed to have a deep blood clot on his left cheekbone, probably a little cut as well, but team sources later allayed the fears that the injury might cost him the final Test.

"It's a small bruise, a small cut underneath his eye. But I have been told it's not serious," Rahul Dravid later said.

Ishant has so far picked up 16 wickets from the series, including a 10-wicket haul in the Barbados Test, with an average of 13.62.