Murali Kartik back in India ODI squad

The national selectors made just one change to the Indian squad for the next two one-dayers against Australia, bringing in Murali Kartik for Ramesh Powar.

"There is only change in the squad. Murali Kartik will replace Ramesh Powar," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said in Hyderabad on Friday.

There was a lot of confusion, as Shah announced that Kartik would replace Powar while a BCCI statement showed Kartik was included in place of R P Singh.

Finally, the BCCI confirmed in another e-mail that it was in fact Powar who was dropped for the next two matches, to be played in Chandigarh (October 8) and Baroda (October 11).

Kartik played for Middlesex during the 2007 season and took 51 wickets at 24.96 from 12 Championship matches, including 9 for 73 in an innings victory against Glamorgan at Lord's.

In the Pro40 (40-over a side) competition, the left-arm spinner scalped 12 wickets at 20.75 from eight games. He was named player of the season by the county and retained for the 2008 season too.

Kartik has played eight Tests and 30 one-dayers for India since making his international debut in February 2000. He last played an ODI for India in early 2006, when he conceded 64 runs in nine overs against Pakistan, after which he was dropped.

Mumbai's Powar failed to impress in the first two ODIs at Bangalore and Kochi, giving away 80 runs off 11 overs without taking a wicket, and was dropped for the third match in Hyderabad.

Since Harbhajan Singh is a similar bowler, and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla is sidelined because of injury, Kartik was the best candidate available. However, he is 31 years of age and with the selectors looking towards the future, the decision to pick him is surprising.

The selectors also named the squad for the Twenty20 match against Australia at the CCI in Mumbai on October 2000. The World Cup-winning squad has been retained except for Chawla.

Indian squad for next two ODIs against Australia:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Sreesanth, RP Singh, Zaheer Khan.

Squad for the Twenty20 match against Australia :

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Dinesh Kaarthick, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Joginder Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Rudra Pratap Singh and Rohit Sharma.