Injuries will force the omission of three important members of the Indian team when it comes to the second Test against Australia to be held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore from October 9 to 13.

VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma will not play the Test, according to team sources. Laxman is weighed down by a back problem which may hamper him when he bats today, while Gautam Gambhir hurt himself on the field here. Ishant Sharma's knee injury was a big hurdle for him when Australia batted in the first innings.

In such a scenario, Tamil Nadu's Murali Vijay will open the innings in Bangalore with Virender Sehwag while Cheteshwar Pujara, who fielded brilliantly at close-in where he snared two catches as substitute yesterday, will come in for Laxman.

Ishant will be replaced by Kerala fast bowler S Sreesanth, who has had to deal with injury worries in the recent past.

It is learnt that the news of the trio's inability to play the Bangalore Test has not yet been conveyed to the
selectors.