Agencies

Sydney, Jan 2: India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan would be out of action for six weeks due to an ankle injury that kept him out of the second Test against Australia which started in Sydney on Wednesday.

"Zaheer Khan is out for six weeks due to his injury," informed selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar to reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday before rushing into the Cricket Board's headquarters for a meeting presumably with other BCCI officials.

The injury to the left arm pacer effectively rules him out of the four-Test series against Australia, which India is trailing 0-1 after their massive defeat at Melbourne.

The third and fourth Tests are to be held at Perth and Adelaide later this month.

Meanwhile the cricket board said in a statement that Zaheer would be returning home immediately and VRV Singh will fly out soon.

Zaheer injured the left heel during the practice session on Tuesday and failed a fitness test before the start of the Sydney Test. The left-arm fast bowler, who has carried this niggling injury for quite some time, was forced out of the third Test in the home series against Pakistan in Bangalore last month.

Singh last played for India in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong in May and is also prone to injuries. He has played four Ranji Trophy matches this season and took 15 wickets.