Tendulkar named in 15-member squad

Despite the most remote chances of playing, Sachin Tendulkar has been named in the 15-member Indian squad for the first two Tests against the visiting Australia side.

Tendulkar, who hasn't played any form of cricket over the past six weeks, as a result of an elbow injury, precisely a tennis elbow (an injury related to wear and tear, as a result of constant non-stop playing), returned to the nets this week, in order to place a bid to play in the series.

Though Tendulkar is said to be still experiencing pain while batting, his condition is improving day by day, giving him a realistic chance of making it to the final eleven for the second Test, if not the first.

There were no major surprises from the newly appointed selection panel, although Zaheer Khan has been called back into the squad, after missing out of recent ODIs. He replaces Ashish Nehra, who twisted his ankle in a domestic game a few days back, as a result of which he is likely to miss up to a month of action.

Mohammed Kaif, considered largely as an ODI specialist has been named in the squad, largely as a cover for Tendulkar. However, his chances of playing either of the two Tests are slim, as he would have to compete with Aakash Chopra for a spot, and the opening batsman did well against Australia in their own backyard.

Chopra's inclusion in turn will be largely dependent on how long Indian management wants to refrain from using Yuvraj Singh as an opener.

The first of the four Tests, to be played in Bangalore, gets underway on the 6th of this month.

Indian squad:
Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Aakash Chopra, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar and Murali Kartik.

Posted by Sudeep