Dhoni ‘rested’ for first Test
KL Rahul and Karn Sharma got the nod ahead of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
MUMBAI: Current form and consistency overpowered reputation as the selection committee picked KL Rahul and Karn Sharma in the squad for the four-test series against Australia. Rahul pipped the experienced Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to seal a berth riding a string of consistent performances in domestic cricket. Karn got the nod ahead of Amit Mishra.
Suresh Raina, who played his last Test a little over two years back, made a comeback as the selection committee not only considered his current T20 and ODI form, but also paid heed to team director Ravi Shastri’s priority to establish Raina as a Test specialist.
SAHA FOR FIRST TEST Wriddhiman Saha will keep wickets in the first Test as MS Dhoni is unavailable owing to an injury to his right thumb. As a backup for Saha, Naman Ojha has been picked till Dhoni reaches Australia for the second test. Virat Kohli will lead the side in Brisbane.
“Dhoni is suffering from thumb injury. On the doctor’s advice, we have decided to rest him for one more Test so that everything
is fine,” said BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel. The 22-year Rahul’s outstanding aggregate in the 201314 season and centuries in each innings of the Duleep Trophy final helped his cause to be picked as the third opener.
Though the selectors have picked five pace bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, but at least three of them are nursing injuries while the team was picked.
DODGY PACE ATTACK
While Bhuvneshwar was rested for the ODI series against Sri Lanka,
Shami was out with injury during the ODI series against the West Indies. Aaron injured his right leg quadriceps in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. And on Sunday, Ishant bowled only four overs, due to a stiff back and has been rested for the last two ODIS. “Ishant will travel with the team
so that the physio can take care of him,” said Patel.
AWARDS ON NOV 21
The BCCI annual awards ceremony will be held in Mumbai on November 21. The function will be held on the evening of the squad’s departure to Australia.