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Untitled Document
 Harbhajan, Kartik recalled into Test squad
14th Nov 2007 20:05 IST
Agencies
Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik were today recalled while the in-form Gautam Gambhir failed to find a place in the 14-member Indian squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan.
Pacer Irfan Pathan and swashbuckling batsman Virender Sehwag, who managed to force their way into the Indian ODI team, were not included in the team announced by the Cricket Board in Mumbai.
While the recall of Harbhajan and Kartik were very much on the cards, there were no surprises in the team to be captained by veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble with current ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni being made his deputy.
The two spinners were rewarded a place in the team for their good performances in the recent one-dayers against Australia and Pakistan.
The selectors' decision to go for an additional spinner in the home series meant that Gambhir could not be accommodated in the squad which has three specialist spinners and as many pacers.
The selectors also chose only two openers in Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik, who had a successful combine in the series against England in July-August.
The 26-year-old Harbhajan was reinstated into the Test team for the first time since the tour of South Africa, which ended in early January while left-arm spinner Kartik got inducted after a gap of almost three years.
The duo replaced Ramesh Powar, the stocky Mumbai off-spinner, and medium pacer Ishant Sharma who were both part of the Test squad that won the series in England in August.
Another member of that victorious 15-strong team, Bengal pacer Ranadeb Bose, also expectedly got the boot.
The recall of Harbhajan, with 238 wickets in 57 Tests under his belt, was on expected lines after his comeback to the one-day squad in place of Powar.
The Punjab bowler, who has also shown impressive form in the 50-over format at home in the last two series, last figured in a Test eleven in April-May 2006 against West Indies.
Harbhajan was not in the team for the tours of Bangladesh and England earlier this year after failing to make it to the playing eleven against South Africa though he was part of the squad.
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