Chopra dropped, Ganguly could open
Tuesday, April 13 2004
Indian management's answer to the opening slot confusion, as a result of Yuvraj Singh's press for selection, is most likely to be captain Sourav Ganguly.
The eleven to take the field for the decider Test, one of the most crucial encounters for India in history, have already been announced. As speculated, Ganguly's return has resulted in the exit of opener Akash Chopra, while Ajit Agarkar, after a forgettable performance in the second Test, has been replaced by Ashish Nehra, who is returning from injury.
Talking yesterday to reporters, Ganguly said, "The role of Virender Sehwag's opening partner will have to be filled by Yuvraj or me. We brought Yuvraj here as a back-up opener but it's a tough decision to remove the batsman from a position where he's scoring hundreds."
On the decision of leaving out Chopra, Ganguly said, "It's tough on Aakash to be left out. He's filled a role for us but this is a one-off test and we want to field the best possible team."
Here the Indian XI (subjected to change) for the match:
Virendar Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, L Balaji, Ashish Nehra.
Posted by Sudeep
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