Indian selectors have recalled former captain Saurav Ganguly for next month’s three-Test series in South Africa.
India’s poor batting form in one-day cricket and uncertainty over skipper Rahul Dravid’s availability for the opening Test in Johannesburg (December 15 to 19) due to a finger injury prompted Ganguly’s recall on Thursday to bolster the brittle middle-order.
Ganguly’s experience is expected to help in the absence of middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh, who has been ruled out of the tour with a knee injury.
Ganguly’s past record on the bouncy South African pitches — 292 runs at an average of just under 33 in five Tests spread over two tours — worked to his favour.
”India’s batting in the current series [one-dayers] has failed … we need experience and so Ganguly has been included,” chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar told reporters.
India have already lost the five-match one-day series in South Africa 3-0 with one game remaining in Centurion on Sunday. The opening game was washed out.
The side has yet to win a Test match in three previous trips to South Africa.
Veteran batsman Vangipurrapu Laxman has been named vice-captain in place of Virender Sehwag in the 16-man squad.
”I think Laxman will do a far better job in Tests as vice-captain,” Vengsarkar said.
Ganguly was sacked as Test skipper and one-day player last October and dropped from the Test squad altogether in February after a long batting slump and a row with coach Greg Chappell.
The squad comprises seven specialist batsmen (including three openers), five fast bowlers, two spinners and two wicketkeepers.
Also earning a recall to the Test side is pace-man Zaheer Khan, who has performed well in the one-day series.
The second and final Tests will be played in Durban (December 26 to 30) and Cape Town (January 2 to 6). — Reuters
Team: Rahul Dravid (captain), Vangipurrapu Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Vikram Rajvir Singh, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.