Sri Lanka vs India : The series build-up

[Chandan]

No Yuvraj' date=' no VRV. Rohit instead of Badrinath![/quote'] Badrinath is in Australia for the EPT. But I'd certainly have preferred him. I'd have preferred Misra to Ojha as well, but even he is in Australia. But no Yuvraj is a good sign or did he opt out as well? And I see that there is no Sreeshanth either. Where is he? Wasn't he supposed to be fully fit or at least fitter than Zaheer? Edit: Oh I see! Sree is not fully fit and hence was not even in the reconing. Here is the full article: Rohit and Ojha included for Sri Lanka Tests India in Sri Lanka 2008 Rohit and Ojha included for Sri Lanka Tests Cricinfo staff July 8, 2008 Pragyan Ojha and Rohit Sharma are the new faces in the Indian Test squad © AFP India have included uncapped players Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha in the 16-member squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka. Gautam Gambhir has been drafted in as opener ahead of Wasim Jaffer, who's been dropped, while Zaheer Khan also returns to the team after injury niggles ruled him out of international action so far this year. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni opting out, the selectors have named two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel. The selectors have 'rested' Yuvraj Singh, but a member of the selection committee said he had been dropped; he has been in poor form since the Australia tour, in the Tests against South Africa and in subsequent limited-overs games. Yuvraj is also susceptible against spin, another factor that could have gone against him given the conditions in Sri Lanka. Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla are the other omissions from the Test squad that played the home series against South Africa. Harbhajan Singh returns to international cricket after completing his five-match ODI ban for slapping Sreesanth, who wasn't in the reckoning as he's still recovering from a side strain. Part of the World Twenty20 in South Africa that won the title, Rohit impressed in the CB Series in Australia earlier this year and continued his form for the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League. Ojha, the Hyderabad left-arm spinner, recently earned a call-up to the ODI side. He was among the top ten bowlers by the end of the league stage of the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy, with 29 wickets at 19.89 in six games Gambhir forces his way back into the Test team on the string of impressive performances in limited-overs cricket and in domestic tournaments. He has been the leading run-getter in ODIs this year and also second-highest run-scorer in the Indian Premier League. Those performances followed an impressive 2006-07 Ranji Trophy season, where he led Delhi to the title, besides scoring 730 runs in five Ranji Trophy games, including centuries in the semi-final and final. Jaffer, on the other hand, has had a poor run in Tests since the Eden Gardens Test against Pakistan last year, in which he scored a double-century. Parthiv last played for India in October 2004; since then Karthik and Dhoni have won favour for a spot in the Indian team. Karthik last played in the Bangalore Test against Pakistan last December, which Dhoni had to skip due to an ankle injury. Karthik had played as a specialist opener in Test series in Bangladesh and England last year, and in the home Tests against Pakistan. He was picked in the squad for the Australia tour, but didn't play any of the Tests. Karthik was surprised with his selection. "I didn't know Dhoni was playing the series or not. It feels great that they have given me a chance." he told Cricinfo. "I don't see this a stop-gap arrangement for Dhoni but will look at this as a great opportunity to perform and prove my credentials. "Since we had a seven-day camp for Test players recently [under Anil Kumble] in Bangalore, I am definitely prepared for this tour. This is going to be a really exciting exciting series especially after the games against them [sri Lanka] in the Asia Cup," he said. "Ajantha Mendis will be a tough bowler to pick but it's really exciting challenge to play some one like him. I am confident that if I get a chance I will do my best to perform both in batting and wicketkeeping." India squad: Anil Kumble (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Parthiv was the skipper of EPT. If he could be called back, why couldn't Badri and Misra? Does this mean that Rohit is the first choice reserve batsman in MO? Selectors made a mistake here, clearly.

[theguyinallblue]

Yuvi has been DROPPED. and sreesanth is injured..and in all likely hood even zaheer will not feature in playing XI.. i don't understand this..how come badrinath and amit mishra are not in team...while Patel is in 16... P patel is also in Aus..so how come he is picked... IMO only Ishant and RP will feature in XI..

[Willow_on_fire]

Yuvi has been DROPPED. and sreesanth is injured..and in all likely hood even zaheer will not feature in playing XI.. i don't understand this..how come badrinath and amit mishra are not in team...while Patel is in 16... P patel is also in Aus..so how come he is picked... IMO only Ishant and RP will feature in XI..

Yuvi being dropped is not a surprise...he sucks against spin and played like a moron in the finals.

[DomainK]

Our bowling will be over dependent on the spinners....unless Zaheer makes it to the final11.

[King Tendulkar]

Jaffer dropped. Thank god. Gambhir in, well over due. Dhoni resting, mercenary he should be axed from all test teams. Hope the other keepers do brilliantly

[theguyinallblue]

DSR, we know your feelings about dhoni in many threads... :winky: i am not sure..if we will play with 5 front line bowlers or 4... zaheer might play the third test... Ishant has been playing non-stop since australia.. RP had a break in between... so he should be fresh... Munaf might get a chance...which might be useful for us... its good that at least he is in 16. our batting is somewhat good now...finally Gambhir will get 3 test matches to show his form in test matches as well.. he will be vital for our performances..in test series.

[Dirty_South]

Very good team , I'm so happy that GG is in the squad....I wud love to c Viru-GG opening in tests :)

[Gambit]

Good squad. Don't have any complaints. Good to see Zak back.

[Desi Cartman]

Its a big tour for Rohit Sharma ... lets see what he can do !

[sandtest]

Would have loved to see Amit Mishra. Clearly players like Mishra and Badrinath have no influence among Indian management and seniors backing.

[flamy]

Would have loved to see Amit Mishra. Clearly players like Mishra and Badrinath have no influence among Indian management and seniors backing.

Ditto. :(( But, I think Mishra would have been redundant with Kumble present. Badrinath >>> Rohit Sharma

[King Tendulkar]

Would have loved to see Amit Mishra. Clearly players like Mishra and Badrinath have no influence among Indian management and seniors backing.

Agree. Mishra is very unlucky.

[arkay]

I think this is a very balanced team. The only person I would complain is Munaf Patel. I think he does not deserve a place in the 16. I doubt, he will make it into the playing XI. As far as having complaints about Amit mishra etc., it is very unlikely that India can play more than 3 spinners. So Mishra can wait. I will bring Mishra into the odis before bringing him in the tests. As far Dhoni taking a rest: I admire him for having a courage to request a break. He has been having niggles lately and in spite of that has been playing because he wanted to contribute to the team's cause. Of all the players, a wicket keeper needs to focus a lot and it certainly takes a toll on them. About Dhoni's participation in back-to-back IPL 20-20: A 20-20 game is relatively easy to play as the duration of the game is shorter. Most of the games were played in the evening and humidity was not that much. On the contrary, the odis were played on extreme heat. The back-to-back games were very tough and needs to be accomplished. When morons like Rajeev Mehra has the nerve to say, play or take a rest - what the **** does he know what it takes to play competitive cricket - back-to-back games? Srilankan series will also be played in exteme heat. Contrary to ODI, a test match lasts a lot longer - a wicket keeper would need to play a longer time. It would have taken a long toll on Dhoni. So Dhoni certainly deserves the rest.

[The Outsider]

The bunch of jokers have done it again : 1. Two wicketkeepers for a tour to SL? Why? Replacements can easily be flown in if there is an injury. And what a stupid time for Dhoni to take his break. Watch us lose the series thanks to either Karthik or Parthiv's wicketkeeping. 2. How exactly is Sharma a better batsman than Badrinath? Technique? Runs? Form? Badrinath is just way ahead. 3. Mishra should spend a couple of days with Harbhajan and learn the art of giving interviews to the press. Nothing else seems to impress these jokers. Terrible, terrible squad. A complete display of stupidity if ever there was one.

[Predator_05]

Well, it's a good thing Yuvraj wasn't picked because now he can finally get his knee operated on. Squad looks fine, but i would have preferred Kaif to Rohit Sharma.

[Feed]

Testing time ahead for senior players Except for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's shock pull out, there were no major surprises in the 16-man Indian squad for the forthcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka. More... Testing time ahead for senior players Harish Kotian July 08, 2008 17:36 IST Except for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's [images] shock pull-out, there are no major surprises in the 16-man Indian squad for the forthcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka [images]. The Indian selectors had no choice but to bring back the 'Fab Four' -- Sachin Tendulkar [images], Rahul Dravid [images], Sourav Ganguly [images] and VVS Laxman. But, except for Tendulkar, the rest have been dumped from the limited-overs' side and many believe it won't be long before they are phased out from the Test side too. However, for now, they continue to survive, fully aware that a failed series could virtually signal the end of their international careers. After all the hype and thrills of the IPL, and the charisma of the young Indian team, it is back to the more traditional format. The seniors are back, the whites are back, the red cherry will finally be back from hibernation and so will be five days of non-stop cricket. It is interesting to see how the sub-continent fans take up to Test cricket after the IPL. The one-dayers in Bangladesh and Asia Cup in Pakistan did not generate much interest and it remains to be seen whether Twenty20 has also made a dent on Test cricket. Making the selectors' intent clear was the inclusion of Mumbai youngster Rohit Sharma. The 21-year-old struggled in the last two ODI series (Bangladesh tri-series and Asia Cup), scoring just one half-century in nine innings, but showed enough promise to be worthy of a place in the Test side. Should there be an injury or two to the seniors, Sharma will no doubt be looking to make most of this opportunity. Getting picked ahead of Yuvraj Singh [images] should be a huge confidence-booster for the right-hander. Gautam Gambhir [images] also makes a comeback to the Test side after a string of impressive performances in ODI and Twenty20 matches for India. The left-hander was the leading run-scorer in the CB tri-series in Australia, with 440 runs, and then took charge in the IPL, aggregating 534 runs and finishing second behind Australia's Shaun Marsh [images]. He is the highest run-scorer in one-dayers in 2008, with 908 runs in 19 matches, and it was only fair that he was picked ahead of the inconsistent Wasim Jaffer [images]. Talking of the seniors, Ganguly will again not only need to prove his worth in the side but also his fitness. He hit two half-centuries in his last two Tests, against South Africa, but an inconsistent run before that will not make it easy for him. But, like all the other Indian batsmen, he will be looking forward to feasting on the batting beauties you mostly encounter in Sri Lanka. Anil Kumble [images] and Harbhajan Singh [images] will, as usual, chore up the spin department. But an interesting selection here is the addition of uncapped Hyderabad left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who impressed during the Asia Cup with encouraging performances. The 21-year-old played three matches in Pakistan, claiming three wickets with an economy rate of 4.53, despite bowling on the flat wickets in Karachi. His selection means there is no room for Piyush Chawla [images], who for a couple of years now had been groomed as a replacement for Kumble. Dhoni's absence means that Dinesh Karthik [images] and Parthiv Patel have got another lifeline in international cricket. Karthik played against Pakistan in Bangalore last year, but Parthiv's last match was four years ago, against Australia in Nagpur in October 2004. Parthiv was revelation with the bat for Gujarat, as he hit 615 runs in seven Ranji Trophy Plate division matches in the 2007-08 season to help his team win the title. He followed it up with another good showing for Chennai Super Kings [images] in the IPL, amassing 302 runs in 13 matches. Karthik, on the other hand, had a quiet time in the IPL with Delhi Daredevils [images], scoring just 145 runs in 13 matches. However, the Tamil Nadu batsman will be the first choice to fill in for Dhoni since Parthiv's glove work is still to convince many. Munaf Patel is also another player on the comeback trail. He played a stellar role in Rajasthan Royals' [images] victory in the IPL, but despite that was not picked for the tri-series in Bangladesh and Asia Cup. However, better sense seems to have prevailed finally as he makes it to the squad ahead of Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan [images]. Munaf's fitness will be under the scanner and it remains to be seen whether he can go through a full series without any breakdowns. Similar will be the case for Zaheer Khan [images], with the left-armer making a comeback to the Test squad after missing international cricket due to injuries since last November. Virender Sehwag's appointment as vice-captain is hugely debatable. With seniors like Tendulkar and Laxman in the side and willing up to take up responsibilities it would have made more sense to give them the role. Overall, it a good all-round team comprising seven batsmen, four fast bowlers, three spinners and two wicketkeepers. India last toured the island nation in 2001, and ended up 2-1 losers. This time, no doubt, they are keen for revenge. Squad: Batsmen: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma. Bowlers: Anil Kumble (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha. Wicketkeepers: Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel.

[Cricketics]

only thing good about the squad is gambhir and ojha in there. Rohit Sharma didn't deserve to get selected. there were many other players who have scored runs in domestic circuit and deserved to go to lanka then Rohit Sharma. i am really frustrated by this. i mean how can you pick him on odi's form which has been decent. i am a fan of rohit sharma. but he never deserved to go to lanka this is a terrible bloody squad, even if it ends up winning. i must admit, Rohit Sharma's inclusion was never on. pathetic look at his F.C RECORD and i am glad Yuvi is dropped

[flamy]

Viru's VC appointment is debatable? Who is this retard writer?

[Chandan]

This is the joker writer at whom many of us were poking fun few months back. He tends to write such idiotic things and that is why I highlighted it. Wonder who he wanted to be the vice captain--Sachin?

[Cricketics]

Virender Sehwag's appointment as vice-captain hmm, ya sure, as if Tendulkar wanted the V.Captaincy. he himself asked the selectors to appoint Dhoni as captain. Sehwag was the only choice, and he was the vice captain before too, but was dropped for no reason from the team