Virender Sehwag was today handed out a fresh lifeline with
the national selectors springing a surprise by recalling him while also naming
rookie paceman Pankaj Singh in India's 16-member Test squad for the gruelling
cricket tour of Australia.
Sehwag, who did not figure in the list of 24 probables, got the nod after Gautam
Gambhir was ruled out of the tour beginning later this month because of
a sore shoulder.
The 22-year-old Pankaj Singh, the Rajasthan paceman who has
caught the eye with his sterling performances in domestic cricket, was the lone
new face in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah
after the selection committee meeting here.
Some of India's key players like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra
Singh Dhoni, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh, who missed
the third Test against Pakistan because of injuries, were included in the squad,
having recovered from their fitness problems.
Barring the selection of Sehwag and Pankaj, there were no other
surprises in the squad, which has seven batsmen, five pacemen, two spinners
and two wicket-keeper batsmen.
"Gambhir has a sore shoulder and according to the report
of physio John Gloster, he will need three weeks of rest. That is why
he was not considered for selection," Shah said.
While wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Kaarthick retained his place, paceman
Munaf Patel was omitted from the squad with the selectors wanting him
to play more domestic matches before returning to international cricket.
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