Yuvraj and Ojha re-entry to tests

December 4, 2008

Yuvraj Singh and Pragyan Ojha have been included in the 15-man squad for the two-Test series against England. M Vijay, who debuted in the final Test against Australia last month, and S Badrinath have been retained for the series, scheduled to start in Chennai on December 11.

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, had said that he saw Yuvraj as the front-runner to take Sourav Ganguly's slot in the Test team after the Australia series. Yuvraj hit two consecutive match-winning hundreds (138* and 118) against England in the first two ODIs of the seven-match series, and also picked up four wickets in Indore.

However, Yuvraj has had an inconsistent run in Test cricket, having played just 23 matches for 1050 runs since his debut five years ago. However, he has been a mainstay for India in one-day cricket having piled up 6466 runs in 222 matches. It has now been confirmed that Yuvraj is Ganguly's Test replacement.

Badrinath and Vijay, who both play for Tamil Nadu, have had contrasting fortunes in their last Ranji game, against Andhra: Badrinath scored 121 and M Vijay lasted just eight balls before getting out for a duck. Vijay was, however, in form earlier in the season, his 200 in the opening game against Maharashtra earning him a last-minute call-up for the Test team to take on Australia.

Badrinath, who scored a hundred in Tamil Nadu's previous match against Uttar Pradesh, will be eager for a place in the starting XI for the first Test, on his home ground in Chennai. He made his ODI debut during India's tour of Sri Lanka in August but, despite being part of the Test squad against Australia, was passed over for Vijay when Gautam Gambhir was suspended for the fourth Test.

Ojha, who toured Sri Lanka with the Test team this summer but has yet to make his debut, replaces RP Singh, who had an indifferent ODI series against England. Ojha is expected to be the back-up spinner in the squad, behind Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra - a tactic employed by India for the first three Tests in the previous series against Australia when they had the spin trio of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan and Mishra to choose from.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, M Vijay, Yuvraj Singh, Pragyan Ojha