Flintoff - off to India Photo AFP

The Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to fly out to India to join England's tour party.

Flintoff, who is currently in Australia with the England Academy side, is expected to arrive in Hyderabad by the weekend.

Following England's two-day warm-up game in Mumbai earlier this week, Coach Duncan Fletcher has decided his side may need to go into the first Test at Mohali on December 3rd with five bowlers.

There is also concern about the Yorkshire all-rounder Craig White, who is still progressing towards full fitness after a knee injury.

"The process is now in motion to bring Andrew Flintoff over here," Fletcher said.

"We want to cover all bases and we feel we need five bowlers. With the inexperienced attack we have here it would be high risk to go into a Test match with just four bowlers - that could be high risk in England.

"Craig didn't want to let us down and we had intended for him to be either our second or third seamer. Flintoff was with us in Zimbabwe and he made a big impression on us, bowling very fast."

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