India DownUnder: BCCI to name T20, ODI squads on January 15
NEW DELHI: Selectors at the Board of Cricket Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will name squads for Twenty20 Internationals and One Day International series against Australia on Sunday, January 15, The Sports Encounter has learnt.
India are due to play two Twenty20 Internationals and a One-Day Tri-Series involving Team India, Sri Lanka and the hosts Australia after the two teams play their four-match Test series. The third Test starts from January 13 at WACA, Perth.
Sources told The Sports Encounter that Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former Indian opener, will name the team on January 15 in New Delhi after looking at some of the changes to be made in the Perth Test.
The most-anticipated inclusion in the Team India would be Yuvraj Singh, who was the Man of the Tournament in the last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 won by India. It is important to mention here that Yuvraj Singh has not played cricket since November 2011 after a non-malignant tumour was diagnosed in his lungs.
There were some doubts initially after Yuvi was diagnosed with the tumor but the stylish left-hand batsman from Punjab province has been working extra time to get back into great shape and make a winning return to the Indian colors.
Another possible inclusion might be another man from Punjab, Harbhajan Singh. The Indian selectors had preferred to go with R Ashwin over Bhaji for the Tour DownUnder but the young off-spinner has failed to bother Australian batsmen a great deal during the first couple of Test matches played at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Harbhajan Singh was dropped from the Test squad for the home series against West Indies after failing to perform exceedingly well on the overseas tour of England where the British handed the Team India their worst defeat.
R Ashwin showed great promise during the series against West Indies claiming 24 wickets in three Test matches besides hitting a Test hundred but his first outing in the Australian cricket grounds has been nothing but a failure therefore a group of former cricketers who have influence in the BCCI have suggested sending Bhaji as a replacement for the young off-breaker.
After the final Test ends on January 28th, the two rivals will take on each other in the two Twenty20 Internationals, first on February 1st at Sydney and the second on February 3rd at Melbourne.
Following the T20 series, the Australia and the Team India will lock horns with the Sri Lankans in the Tri-Nation One Day Tournament, starting from February 5th at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The three cricketing power houses will play each other four times each before the top two teams fighting it out for the title in the best-of-three finals in March, 2012.
Yuvraj Singh
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