Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Tendulkar, Sehwag set to return to ODI squad

November 04, 2008 11:52 IST

Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, who missed the last ODI series in Sri Lanka, are set to return to the Indian limited overs squad when the national selectors meet in Nagpur on Wednesday to name the team for the seven-match series against England commencing on November 14 at Rajkot.

The selectors are expected to name almost the same team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni that won the away series against Sri Lanka 3-2 in August-end.

Dhoni has now become the regular Test skipper following the retirement of Anil Kumble.

Yuvraj Singh, young guns Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma, who featured in the domestic Challenger Series and are playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy championship for their respective state teams, would be eager to get back into international action.

ODI specialists with all-round skills, Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan, are also set to make the squad along with Delhi youngster Virat Kohli who made his international debut in Sri Lanka.

Subramaniam Badrinath, part of the Test squad against Australia without being able to make the playing eleven in the first three matches of the rubber, is also expected to be named in the team.

Zaheer Khan, who is spearheading the bowling admirably against Australia, would be leading the pace attack with Munaf Patel and Rudra Pratap Singh, unless the selectors decide to rest him after his long stint against Australia.

Harbhajan Singh would be leading the spin attack while it remains to be seen who would be his support at the other end with contenders being left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and leg spinners Amit Mishra, who has impressed in the Test series against Australia, and Piyush Chawla.

It will be interesting to see whether Gautam Gambhir, who is in terrific form in the ongoing Test rubber against Australia, would be named in the team pending the decision on his appeal against the one-Test ban imposed on him by ICC match referee Chris Broad for his altercation with Australian all-rounder Shane Watson in the third Test at Delhi.

The ICC is yet to decide when the appeal is to be heard by Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and till his hearing and the subsequent decision is taken, whether he will be allowed to play.

S S Ramaswamy
© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.