Harmison Out of India Series

Steve Harmison has been ruled out for the whole of England's Test series against India after being booked in for a hernia operation which will sideline him for four to six weeks.

"Steve is going to have the operation later today," said the England coach Peter Moores. "Unfortunately for him the hernia has come back and now it's all about getting it done as quickly as possible."

Harmison first sustained the injury during the final Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street nearly a month ago, but after tests England's medical staff agreed to let him play on. He had hoped to play a full part in the series against India and then participate in Durham's first domestic final in the Friends Provident trophy at Lord's on August 18 before having the surgery. But he suffered a recurrence of the problem during Durham's championship match against Sussex at Hove last week and is now set to miss the remainder of England's summer. Harmison retired from one-day international cricket last winter so his next international commitment is likely to be England's Test tour to Sri Lanka in December.

While the news was expected, it is a real blow to England, who are left with just Matthew Hoggard from the famous fast-bowling quartet that enabled them to win back the Ashes in 2005.

Hoggard is likely to be supported by Ryan Sidebottom, who was excellent against the West Indies but remains unproven against proper batsmen on flat pitches, and Stuart Broad, who for all his abundant promise has yet to play Test cricket. Chris Tremlett and James Anderson are also in the 13-man squad.

There is a whiff of history repeating: on India's last tour of England, in 2002, the home side went into the first Test with almost a reserve seam attack, with their new-ball pair of Darren Gough and Andy Caddick both injured.

They won that first Test, bowling splendidly to dismiss India for 221 and 397 on a flat, subcontinental pitch, but as the summer wore on so the class of India's middle-order galacticos began to tell: in the last three Tests they made 357, 424 for eight, 628 for eight and 508. Without Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones, England may fear similar punishment this time round.