Prasad, Bahutule in Test team

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, AUG. 2. The national selectors have acceded to the team management's request to recall seamer Venkatesh Prasad for the three Test series against Sri Lanka.

Prasad, who will turn 32 on Sunday, August 5, is one among the eight replacements the selectors chose for the Test series that will follow the Coca Cola tri-series. The chairman of selectors Mr. Chandu Borde told reporters after a two-hour committee meeting at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) office that, ``the team management feels the conditions there in Sri Lanka will be helpful to Prasad. That's not the only reason, we also felt the team needs an experienced seamer,'' said Mr. Borde.

Railways' Harvinder Singh was the third seamer the selectors picked. He is the squad because of the groin injury to Ashish Nehra and also perhaps because the selectors dropped Mumbai's Ajit Agarkar. More than a month ago, the same set of selectors chose him for the tri-series in Zimbabwe.

Mumbai's leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule, who went to Zimbabwe, but did not play a Test there, has been recalled. ``They wanted three spinners. Off-spinner Sarandeep Singh was discussed, but not Sunil Joshi. We opted for Bahutule because he increases the options for the captain and coach,'' said Mr. Borde. India's bowling will be in the hands of the four seamers, Srinath, Prasad, Zaheer Khan and Harvinder and the three spinners, Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Sanghvi and Bahutule.

The selectors did not disturb the established opening pair in Shiv Sundar Das and Sadagopan Ramesh. They also did not pick an additional opener, though they discussed Mumbai's Vinayak Mane, Railways' Sanjay Bangar and Baroda's Connor Williams. This gave them a leeway to pick an extra middle-order batsman.

After a debate, Uttar Pradesh's Mohammad Kaif (his last Test was against South Africa in Bangalore in March 2000) and Punjab's Dinesh Mongia edged out Baroda's Jacob Martin, who will go to Sri Lanka only in the event of Tendulkar being advised further rest after a scan of the sesamoid bone of his right foot on August 10. Maharashtra's Hrisikesh Kanitkar also figured in the discussion.

The players who will return home after the Coca Cola series are Amay Khurasiya, Virender Sehwag, Debasis Mohanty, Yuveraj Singh, Venkatsai Laxman, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and Reetinder Singh Sodhi. According to Mr. Jaywant Lele, Hon. Secretary, BCCI, Venkatsai Laxman will have to undergo orthoscopic surgery of his right knee. ``He has been advised six weeks rest. Ashish Nehra has been advised complete rest for close to two months. He should be available for selection for the tour to South Africa. Tendulkar will not have to prove his fitness. We will take his and Dr. Anant Joshi's word,'' said Mr. Lele.

The BCCI expressed concern at captain Sourav Ganguly having been booked twice (one match suspension, followed by a maximum fine of 75 per cent of his match fees) by match referee Cammie Smith in the tri-series in Sri Lanka. ``I cannot comment, but Mr. A.C. Muthiah (BCCI president) will talk to him,'' said Mr. Lele.

The team

Sourav Ganguly (captain)

Rahul Dravid (vice-captain)

Sachin Tendulkar

Shiv Sundar Das

Sadagopan Ramesh

Hemang Badani

Mohammad Kaif

Dinesh Mongia

Javagal Srinath

Harbhajan Singh

Zaheer Khan

Venkatesh Prasad

Harvinder Singh

Rahul Sanghvi

Sairaj Bahutule

Sameer Dighe (wicket-keeper).

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