Bopara under injury cloud (From The Argus)

Bopara under injury cloud

1:55pm Saturday 12th May 2012 in National Sport © Press Association 2013

Ravi Bopara's injury misfortune may be about to prove a bitter blow personally.

If the middle-order batsman's torn thigh muscle places his participation in next week's first Test in doubt, or prevents it altogether, it will also force England's selectors into the inconvenience of a last-minute rethink before they announce their squad on Sunday morning to face West Indies at Lord's.

For someone else, though - most likely one of the uncapped pair Jonny Bairstow or James Taylor, perhaps Samit Patel or even Nick Compton - unexpected opportunity will be about to knock.

Unconfirmed reports of the extent of Bopara's discomfort have been conflicting, after he had to leave the field having bowled one over of his occasional medium-pace for Essex at Chelmsford on Friday.

What is known, though, is that Bopara went for a scan and received the diagnosis on Saturday morning of what sounds like a relatively minor injury.

He was subsequently able to bat against Kent, beginning with a runner, dispatching him and then having to recall him - all on the way to his lunchtime score of five not out.

In those uncertain circumstances, it is hard to envisage world-beating England taking an unwise punt on the fitness of a specialist batsman. It might have been easier, however, for them to apply that sort of conservatism and pragmatism were the contenders to deputise for Bopara not so short on Test experience.

Patel was chosen ahead of Bopara in England's last two Tests in Sri Lanka, where the former's ability as a second spinner and the latter's side strain helped to make that decision.

But the three remaining 'possibles' have just 13 one-day international/Twenty 20 caps between them - all but Taylor's one belonging to Bairstow.

England probable squad (v West Indies, first Investec Test at Lord's on May 17): AJ Strauss (Captain), AN Cook, IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, IR Bell, RS Bopara, MJ Prior (wkt), SCJ Broad, GP Swann, ST Finn, JM Anderson, TT Bresnan, G Onions, JM Bairstow.