 Harbhajan, Kartik recalled into Test squad
14th Nov 2007 20:05 IST
Agencies
Kartik's absence from the Test rankings has been even longer. The left arm spinner, who has played only eight Tests since his debut in 1999-2000, last played a Test against South Africa at Kanpur in 2004-05.
The first India-Pakistan Test is to be played at Delhi from November 22-26 while Kolkata will be the venue for the second match of the three-Test series from November 30-December 4.
The meeting was attended by all five members of the selection panel headed by Dilip Vengsarkar, and also present was newly appointed captain Kumble.
BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah convened the meeting and announced the list of team members but the BCCI decided to do away with their recent practice of asking Vengsarkar to interact with the media after the meeting.
Vengsarkar was recently asked by the BCCI to refrain from writing his syndicated newspaper columns too.
Shah said that the team for the final Test at Bangalore (December 8-12) as well as for the following tour of Australia would be picked at the conclusion of the Kolkata Test match.
Kartik's improved display in the one-dayers since his recall out of the blue against Australia in the previous home series provided him with a chance to bounce back not only for the series against Pakistan but for the four-Test series Down Under too.
Test specialist Laxman and former captain Rahul Dravid, no longer figuring in the ODI squad, give meat to the experienced middle order which has Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Yuvraj Singh, besides wicket-keeper Dhoni to provide it with a rock solid look in home conditions.
The last middle order slot in the eleven could be a toss-up between Yuvraj, in great form in the shortened formats of the game, and the in-and-out Laxman.
The success of the middle order and the failure of Sehwag in his last Test series as opener in South Africa, seems to have swayed the selectors' mind from giving him another chance to relaunch his Test career.
But his place in the squad for Australia cannot be ruled out because of his superb run in the last visit Down Under.
The team: Anil Kumble (Capt.), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vice-Capt.) Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer, Rudra Pratap Singh, S Sreesanth, Murali Kartik and Dinesh Karthik. |
