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Hooper hoping to return for fourth ODI

West Indies skipper Carl Hooper is hopeful of shrugging off a nagging knee injury in time to play in the fourth one-day international against India on Friday.

"The knee is not so bad. Hopefully I will be fit to play tomorrow," he told reporters on Thursday.

The 35-year-old Guyanese batsman rested himself for the third game in Rajkot on Tuesday, which the hosts won using the Duckworth/Lewis method employed for rain-hit games after crowd trouble forced a halt during India's run chase.

A statement from the West Indies Cricket Board said Hooper would withdraw from the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh in order to have an operation on his knee.

"Carl has now decided to undergo the required corrective surgery at the end of November so that he will be fully recovered by the start of our pre-World Cup camp in January," said West Indies manager Ricky Skerritt.

Left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins, sidelined for the last two games because of back trouble, was showing improvement and would be considered for selection, Hooper said.

West Indies lead the seven-match series 2-1.

Hooper praised his side's consistent top-order performances in the series -- where the tourists have twice chased 280 or more to win and then amassed 300 for five in Rajkot -- but said the focus now would be on sharpening the bowling.

"I want us to be bowling much better to restrict the opposition from 280-odd to totals much smaller," he said.

India vice-captain Rahul Dravid said the hosts have been boosted by the manner of their run-chase in Rajkot, where opener Virender Sehwag's explosive 114 not out put them on course at 200 for one in the 28th over before the crowd disturbance.

"It was a morale-boosting performance the way we went about chasing the target. We have been looking to chase on good wickets," he said.

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