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Harbhajan to replace Sodhi
for last ODI

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will return to the Indian team for the final one-day match against the West Indies, in Vijaywada on Sunday, after missing the previous game due to injury.

Harbhajan, who did not play the penultimate one- dayer at Jodhpur on Thursday, will replace Reetinder Singh Sodhi, the team management said on Saturday, even though skipper Rahul Dravid defended the young all-rounder's performance at Jodhpur.

"Sodhi should not be blamed. Especially when a young player like him is making a comeback," Dravid said in his pre- match comments.

"He has no problem. He was put in a difficult situation, having come in when myself and Yuvraj Singh got out in quick succession," Dravid said, adding that all the 15-members of the squad are available for selection for the match.

But Sodhi, who was present at the nets on Saturday, did not strain himself much, perhaps aware that he will not be in the playing eleven.

Dravid disagreed with suggestions that a lot of experimenting is being done with the batting order.

"We are not really juggling with the batting order too much. We in the team management feel that there are problems, like Sanjay Bangar and Mohammad Kaif not being able to get many opportunities. But it cannot be helped as they come down the order between number five and seven.

"I want to keep all my options open and do not want to give any chance to the opposition to prepare on our strategies in advance," Dravid said, refusing to give out the team strategy for tomorrow's match.

"If we bat first, we have to post a winning total or we have to chase well to clinch the series," he added.

Coach John Wright once again stressed on the need for improvement in the bowling department.

"We bowled out of line a bit in few matches while the West Indies bowled well. I think we bowled a good line and length in the first 15 overs in the last game and we will have to do the same tomorrow," Wright said.

"In most of the games the spinners have been bowling within 15 overs and in Baroda, Harbhajan bowled the seventh over. We need the bowlers to repeat their performance of the last match and bowl a good line and length tomorrow."

Asked about the batting, Wright said, "Our batsmen have been doing very well in this series. I am happy that Sanjay Bangar has taken the opportunity and proved that he is a very useful one-day cricketer as well."

West Indies captain Carl Hooper said Mervyn Dillon is not available for the match as he requires another week or so to recover from his injury.

"It is going to be anybody's game tomorrow. We have to bowl well and bat well. Our fielding was good in the last match, but we did miss a few chances," he added.

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