KP to stay in India

Kevin Pietersen is to remain with England's limited-overs squad in India, in the hope he will be fit to play in this weekend's one-off Twenty20 international at Eden Gardens.

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday afternoon Pietersen, who has broken his thumb and therefore had to miss Tuesday's final match of a 5-0 one-day international whitewash by India, will stay in Kolkata.

The middle-order batsman will, however, have a fitness test before Saturday's final fixture of England's short and unsuccessful tour.

Pietersen himself issued an upbeat medical bulletin on Wednesday morning.

With the 'hashtag' #fingerscrossedforT20, he tweeted: "Bruising going down on the break ...".

He used the same medium late on Tuesday night to correct mis-information circulated in some reports as to how he injured his thumb.

He hurt it fielding in Sunday's defeat in Mumbai, as confirmed by the ECB on Tuesday, and not when he was hit on his left hand - but not his thumb - by a stray throw while his team-mates were taking part in fielding drills before the start of play in Kolkata.