India will be without leg-spinner Anil Kumble for the second Test against England.
He has been sidelined with a calf injury, paving the way for off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to make his Test debut on English soil.
The news is a big blow to the tourists, who lost the first Test at Lord's by 170 runs.
Meanwhile, England captain Nasser Hussain admits he has yet to decide on the best team to take on India at Trent Bridge.
With injuries and withdrawals affecting the squad, pace bowler Steve Harmison could make his debut alongside opening batsman Robert Key.
"I expect it to be a good wicket but we've got to work out which of the bowlers it will favour," Hussain told.
Chairman of national selection committee Chandu Borde has slammed the media for putting pressure on master batsman Sachin Tendulkar by portraying him as an "underachiever" abroad and said he was equally successful on foreign soil.
"The media, I think, is responsible for creating this impression. Sachin is a great batsman and has been scoring runs fairly consistently both at home and abroad. I can't understand why people are putting pressure on him," Borde, who is on a private visit, told.
"Failure in one or two innings is part of the game. What's this fuss all about, I can't understand" he said.
Tendulkar's average in away Tests is a robust 51.80 though he has a higher average of 63.73 at home.
Borde said India now had a string of youngsters who could play as well as the seniors which was a good sign for Indian cricket.
England captain Nasser Hussain is unhappy at the grass being shaved off the pitch for the second Test starting on Thursday in a bid to make the match last for full five days.
According to reliable sources, Hussain was angry to see the pitch, which wore a green look a couple of days back, totally devoid of grass.
The England and Wales Cricket Board have decided to prepare batting-friendly pitches so that the Test matches do not finish before schedule. As a result, the pitch which is known to help the fast bowlers, was rid off the grass and a bald-looking track prepared in its place.
Hussain, who is chasing England's fourth successive Test victory at home - a feat unmatched in the last 24 years - said his bowlers needed a lively track to keep the strong Indian batting line-up in check.
"This is a side which made 500 against Australia three times in a row," said Hussain, emphasising the strength of the Indian batting.
"People are mistaken in knocking them over," he said.