Pietersen not worried by Bopara strain

Kevin Pietersen does not believe England's Test plans have been too badly affected by Ravi Bopara's side strain.

Bopara was due to bat at number six for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, with his medium-pace bowling a handy option to relieve the frontline seamers in scorching heat and humidity. But the Essex all-rounder is unlikely to be fit to bowl for the remainder of the trip having injured his side in the warm-up victory over Sri Lanka's Development XI.

Pietersen, though, believes Bopara's chances have not been overly compromised, and said: "I'm not sure it's a big setback, because he's hardly going to take you seven wickets in a Test match. He might bowl you four overs (in an innings). I can bowl those overs, Jonathan Trott can bowl those four overs. It's not a massive setback."

In fact, Pietersen's primary concern is over the energy-sapping conditions that await England.

The squad went through over 400 bottles of water as they fielded on day one of their last practice match, with the players visibly wilting as the day progressed.

Even longer stints in the field could be in front of them in the Test series and Pietersen stressed the challenge that represents.

"It's unbelievable, make no bones about that," he said.

"The heat, I think, is the biggest threat to us. But it's something we have to try to get over as quickly as possible.

"I'm trying to just not do too much and to conserve a lot of energy, not run around like a crazy fool like you do in England or Australia or South Africa, where you can afford to do that.

"It's something we have to try to control. We've been out here for two weeks and it has got a lot better."