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A team built around batting strength

By G. Viswanath

Mumbai Dec. 29. The selectors have not tinkered with the batting strength and kept a plateful in the bowling department while selecting the Indian team for the tri-series in Australia. Zaheer Khan will return because of his hamstring injury while Baroda teammate Irfan Pathan has been retained as the 16th player. The fourth specialist seamer in the side is Laxmipathy Balaji, who has played one limited over international against the West Indies.

More than a month ago, there was an outcry when left arm spinner Murali Kartik was initially overlooked for the Test series. He was, however, included when offspinner Harbhajan Singh had to undergo corrective surgery after the first Test in Brisbane.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly has been at the helm for more than three years now and was instrumental in shaping the nucleus of this team that won the NatWest Trophy tri-series in England and reached the World Cup final. The selectors have not disturbed this balance and regardless of their batting performances in the TVS Cup at home, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif have been included in the 16 for the VB series, the first match of which will be played between India and Australia at Melbourne on January 9.

Venkatsai Laxman's non-inclusion for the World Cup was corrected during the TVS Cup. After the stylish Hyderabadi's brilliant showing in the first Test against the Black Caps at Motera, Ganguly convinced the selectors to recall him for the TVS Cup. He played in seven matches and made 222 runs.

Tamil Nadu left hander, Hemang Badani, who seemed to have got the short shrift for a while, has been impressive right through the season and has been picked as the eighth specialist batsman. Railways' all-rounder Sanjay Bangar missed the bus for the home series against New Zealand and did not figure in India's campaign in the TVS Cup. Ganguly believes that Bangar has the ability to contribute with the bat in the lower order and with his bowling skills and will provide him an option.

The team: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Irfan Pathan, Sanjay Bangar, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik.

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