India omit Yuvraj for first Test
Thursday, 22 November 2007
India have left in-form batsman Yuvraj Singh out of their side for the first Test against Pakistan, which starts Thursday in New Delhi, reports BBC.
Yuvraj scored 272 runs in the recent one-day series between the sides, but experienced pair Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are included instead.
India, captained by Anil Kumble for the first time, are also without injured fast bowlers RP Singh and Sree Santh.
The duo's absence will see Munaf Patel share the new ball with Zaheer Khan.
With no other frontline pace bowler in the squad, it will mean an increased workload for India's spinners - Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and possibly Murali Kartik, whose place in the side depends on whether India choose to field only four bowlers.
Pakistan must replace the recently-retired Inzamam-ul-Haq in the middle order, and also find a settled opening partnership after trying several combinations in recent games.
"Delhi has been really nice for me personally and also for India," said Kumble, who took all 10 wickets on the Ferozshah Kotla ground against Pakistan in 1999 and succeeds Rahul Dravid as Test skipper.
"But we respect Pakistan as an opposition. We won the one-dayers, but it depends on how each team take their own defeat or victory”.
Yuvraj scored 272 runs in the recent one-day series between the sides, but experienced pair Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are included instead.
India, captained by Anil Kumble for the first time, are also without injured fast bowlers RP Singh and Sree Santh.
The duo's absence will see Munaf Patel share the new ball with Zaheer Khan.
With no other frontline pace bowler in the squad, it will mean an increased workload for India's spinners - Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and possibly Murali Kartik, whose place in the side depends on whether India choose to field only four bowlers.
Pakistan must replace the recently-retired Inzamam-ul-Haq in the middle order, and also find a settled opening partnership after trying several combinations in recent games.
"Delhi has been really nice for me personally and also for India," said Kumble, who took all 10 wickets on the Ferozshah Kotla ground against Pakistan in 1999 and succeeds Rahul Dravid as Test skipper.
"But we respect Pakistan as an opposition. We won the one-dayers, but it depends on how each team take their own defeat or victory”.