ID :
34024
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 09:43
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http://m.oananews.org//node/34024
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Yuvraj Singh recalled, R P Singh dropped from Test squad
Chennai, Dec 4 (PTI) Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh was Thursday handed a fresh opportunity to resurrect his Test career and cement the middle order slot left vacant by Sourav Ganguly after he was named in India's Test squad for the two-match series against England beginning next week.
Apart from Yuvraj, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was also
rewarded with a berth in the 15-member squad which had no
place for paceman Rudra Pratap Singh.
Tamil nadu opener Murali Vijay, who made his debut in the
fourth Test against Australia in Nagpur, and his statemate S
Badrinath have both been retained in the team announced by the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after a meeting
of the selection committee.
There were no major surprises in the team with the
selectors preferring to more or less retain the same group
that had done duty in the recent Test series against
Australia.
The 26-year-old Yuvraj forced his way back into Test
reckoning because of his sizzling form in the recent one-day
series against England before it was called off following
the terror attacks in Mumbai.
The Punjab batsman, who has not been able to make much of
an impact on the longer version of the game so far, will get
another chance to cement a place in the team, particularly
after the retirement of fellow left-hander Sourav Ganguly.
Yuvraj had last played a Test against South Africa in
Kanpur in April and appears to be a certainty for the first
Test against England to be held in Chennai from December 11 to
15.
Yuvraj has so far played 23 Tests and has compiled 1050
runs for an average of 32.81 which does not quite justify the
talent he has got.
Hyderabad spinner Ojha has been rewarded with a berth in
the Test team, filling up the spot left vacant by former Test
captain Anil Kumble who has also bid farewell to the game.
With the selectors opting to strengthen the spin
department, paceman R P Singh had be left out of the team.
Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay, who made a rather
impressive debut against Australia, has been retained in the
squad which has eight specialist batsmen, three pacers, three
spinners and one wicket-keeper batsman in captain Mahendra
Singh Dhoni.
Vijay will be the reserve opener with Sehwag and Gautam
Gambhir being the regular openers.
In the absence of veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble,
Harbhajan Singh will have to shoulder the spin responsibility
alongwith leg spinner Amit Mishra who made quite an impact in
the series against Australia.
VVS laxman, who pulled out of the Ranji Trophy tie
against Mumbai because of an injury, has been included in the
team which means that he has recovered from the injury.
Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the two most
experienced batsmen in the line-up and the duo will have a big
role to play in the series.
The terror attacks in Mumbai had cast a shadow of
uncertainty on the Test series with the England team returning
home, abandoning the last two ODIs in Guwahati and New Delhi.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now
given the go-ahead and a full-strength England squad will
leave for Abu Dhabi where they will have their practice
sessions before coming to India.
"After spending the last 72 hours consulting security
advisers and Government agencies at the highest level, the
England and Wales Cricket Board has determined that England
will leave for Abu Dhabi to resume their two Test tour of
India," the ECB said in a statement.
England are scheduled to play the first Test in Chennai
from December 11-15 and the second Test in Mohali from
December 19-23 after the itinerary was revised following the
Mumbai carnage.
The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag
(vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin
Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan
Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, S Badrinath, Munaf Patel,
Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha. PTI RE
DEP
Apart from Yuvraj, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was also
rewarded with a berth in the 15-member squad which had no
place for paceman Rudra Pratap Singh.
Tamil nadu opener Murali Vijay, who made his debut in the
fourth Test against Australia in Nagpur, and his statemate S
Badrinath have both been retained in the team announced by the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after a meeting
of the selection committee.
There were no major surprises in the team with the
selectors preferring to more or less retain the same group
that had done duty in the recent Test series against
Australia.
The 26-year-old Yuvraj forced his way back into Test
reckoning because of his sizzling form in the recent one-day
series against England before it was called off following
the terror attacks in Mumbai.
The Punjab batsman, who has not been able to make much of
an impact on the longer version of the game so far, will get
another chance to cement a place in the team, particularly
after the retirement of fellow left-hander Sourav Ganguly.
Yuvraj had last played a Test against South Africa in
Kanpur in April and appears to be a certainty for the first
Test against England to be held in Chennai from December 11 to
15.
Yuvraj has so far played 23 Tests and has compiled 1050
runs for an average of 32.81 which does not quite justify the
talent he has got.
Hyderabad spinner Ojha has been rewarded with a berth in
the Test team, filling up the spot left vacant by former Test
captain Anil Kumble who has also bid farewell to the game.
With the selectors opting to strengthen the spin
department, paceman R P Singh had be left out of the team.
Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay, who made a rather
impressive debut against Australia, has been retained in the
squad which has eight specialist batsmen, three pacers, three
spinners and one wicket-keeper batsman in captain Mahendra
Singh Dhoni.
Vijay will be the reserve opener with Sehwag and Gautam
Gambhir being the regular openers.
In the absence of veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble,
Harbhajan Singh will have to shoulder the spin responsibility
alongwith leg spinner Amit Mishra who made quite an impact in
the series against Australia.
VVS laxman, who pulled out of the Ranji Trophy tie
against Mumbai because of an injury, has been included in the
team which means that he has recovered from the injury.
Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the two most
experienced batsmen in the line-up and the duo will have a big
role to play in the series.
The terror attacks in Mumbai had cast a shadow of
uncertainty on the Test series with the England team returning
home, abandoning the last two ODIs in Guwahati and New Delhi.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now
given the go-ahead and a full-strength England squad will
leave for Abu Dhabi where they will have their practice
sessions before coming to India.
"After spending the last 72 hours consulting security
advisers and Government agencies at the highest level, the
England and Wales Cricket Board has determined that England
will leave for Abu Dhabi to resume their two Test tour of
India," the ECB said in a statement.
England are scheduled to play the first Test in Chennai
from December 11-15 and the second Test in Mohali from
December 19-23 after the itinerary was revised following the
Mumbai carnage.
The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag
(vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin
Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan
Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, S Badrinath, Munaf Patel,
Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha. PTI RE
DEP
