Ganguly in India squad
Sunday, 5 October 2008
MUMBAI, Oct 4 (AP): India's former captain Sourav Ganguly was chosen in the squad Wednesday for the first two Tests against Australia despite not featuring in the domestic Irani Trophy, which is the traditional trial for Test selection.
Ganguly was included in the 15-member squad by the new selection panel that was appointed only Saturday.
Following indifferent form during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka, Ganguly's selection for the Tests against Australia was in doubt when he was left out for the Irani Trophy match which pits the Ranji Trophy champion against a Rest of India selection.
Ganguly, 36, was also not involved in India's conditioning camp that began Tuesday in Bangalore, where the first est begins Oct. 9.
Indian media reports said Ganguly, who has 6,888 runs from 109 tests, was considering retirement if he was not chosen in the squad.
Ganguly's made only 96 runs in three Tests during India's 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka, but the new selectors banked on the former skipper's experience.
The new selection panel, headed by former Test captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, kept faith with the seasoned middle-order lineup that includes Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni returns after missing the Tests in Sri Lanka, with Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel making way.
The two Test rookies in the squad are middle-order batsman Subramaniam Badrinath and leg spinner Amit Mishra, both of whom have played in three limited-overs internationals. They replace Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha from the squad that toured Sri Lanka.
Ganguly was included in the 15-member squad by the new selection panel that was appointed only Saturday.
Following indifferent form during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka, Ganguly's selection for the Tests against Australia was in doubt when he was left out for the Irani Trophy match which pits the Ranji Trophy champion against a Rest of India selection.
Ganguly, 36, was also not involved in India's conditioning camp that began Tuesday in Bangalore, where the first est begins Oct. 9.
Indian media reports said Ganguly, who has 6,888 runs from 109 tests, was considering retirement if he was not chosen in the squad.
Ganguly's made only 96 runs in three Tests during India's 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka, but the new selectors banked on the former skipper's experience.
The new selection panel, headed by former Test captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, kept faith with the seasoned middle-order lineup that includes Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni returns after missing the Tests in Sri Lanka, with Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel making way.
The two Test rookies in the squad are middle-order batsman Subramaniam Badrinath and leg spinner Amit Mishra, both of whom have played in three limited-overs internationals. They replace Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha from the squad that toured Sri Lanka.