Anil Kumble will leave for Bangalore this afternoon for a jaw surgery that is scheduled for Wednesday, Indian physio Andrew Leipus said. "He would have liked to bowl today but the flight scheduling made that impossible. He needs surgery as soon as possible, so he has to leave this afternoon," Leipus said on the fourth morning of the Antigua Test.

Kumble had sustained the injury while batting in the first innings, when a Mervyn Dillon bouncer had struck him on the jaw. Despite what was diagnosed the following morning as a fracture, Kumble bowled with a strapping around his jaw yesterday.

Kumble will virtually go straight into surgery on reaching Bangalore, Leipus said. "A plate needs to be inserted to keep the jaw together. It's not too serious, but it needs to be done quickly."

The recovery time for such an injury is only between two and three weeks. It means that Kumble will certainly be available for the tour to England which begins in late June.

Kumble's performance had won him plenty of admirers. Sunil Gavaskar yesterday said that "Cricket has a way of producing inspiring tales of valour for the country and this ranks at the very top. Kumble seemed to be wearing the tri-colour on his chest."

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com in India. His reports will appear here throughout the Test series.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd