India's Test and ODI squads for NZ tour to be announced Friday

Chennai, Feb 12 (PTI) Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and
pacer Munaf Patel are set to return to the team when the
selectors meet here Friday to pick the Indian cricket squads
for the upcoming one-day and Test series against New Zealand.

The national selectors are likely to retain most of the
players who played in the just-concluded one-day series
against Sri Lanka while Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who were
not in the one-day team, are certain to be named in the Test
squad.

The Indians won the ODI series by an emphatic 4-1 margin
and most of the players chipped in with useful contributions.

Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out of the two Twenty20
matches as the star batsman has always prefered to stay away
from the shortest format of the game. He will be available for
the five-match ODI series and the three-match Test series.

Harbhajan, who did not tour Sri Lanka due to a hamstring
injury, and Munaf, who injured himself after playing the first
ODI in Dambulla, are certain to make it to the ODI squad.

The duo will most probably replace Saurashtra all-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja and Tamil Nadu pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Jadeja, who made 60 not out in his debut match in Colombo
against Sri Lanka, will have to wait for his next call up
while Balaji failed to impress the selectors with his
wicketless performance in the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka.

Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan and Pragyan Ojha, both of
whom enjoyed moderate success in Sri Lanka, are expected to be
retained in the squad.

Irfan took four wickets from the two matches he played
and his ability to bat in the lower order which he showed in
the Twenty20 victory is an important factor the selectors
would take into account.

The only other issue which the five selectors will have
to take a call on would be on whether to include an extra
wicket-keeper which will make it a 16-member squad.

In case an extra stumper is to be picked the toss up
would be between Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel and Tamil
Nadu's Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik had an excellent domestic season this year
crossing 1000 first class runs while Parthiv made a fine 131
for champions West Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against
South Zone.

The tour begins with a Twenty20 International in
Christchurch on February 25 before another T20 match in
Wellington two days later. The first ODI will be played in
Napier on March 3. PTI RE