Laxman to lead India-A in tour opener against Australia

The national selection committee which met at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai this morning selected VVS Laxman to lead India-A in the tour opener against the visiting Australian team at Nagpur from February 17-19. Of the 14 players in the squad, only Gagan Khoda and Javed Zaman are not in the list of 25 probables for the series against Australia. Khoda is coming off an unbeaten triple century in the Duleep Trophy against four bowlers who played for India against Zimbabwe earlier in the season but Assam seamer Zaman is a surprise packet. Having taken nine wickets at 44.55 in four Duleep Trophy games, Zaman could consider himself lucky.

BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele said the Indian team for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Mumbai would be declared on the last day of the tour opener at Nagpur, according to Press Trust of India. The Board President's XI team for the three day warmup against Australia at Delhi from March 6-8 will also be released at the same time. Lele indicated that Sairaj Bahutule and 32-year-old veteran Narendra Hirwani, who are not among the seven spinners included in the probables, could get a break for the Board President's XI. Bahutule was unfortunate to be overlooked in the first place and he did his chances no harm by taking 16 wickets including a hat trick in the Duleep Trophy, second only to Debashis Mohanty.

Lele noted that with the Sharjah tri-series having been cancelled, the conditioning camp for the 25 probables would proceed one day behind schedule at Chennai from February 7 to 11, followed by the Challenger Series from February 12 to 15. The Chairman of Selectors, Chandu Borde added that in light of Sachin Tendulkar's reluctance to lead India B for the Challenger Series, a new captain would be selected during the camp. "The conditioning camp will resume after the Challenger Trophy while the players selected to represent the India-A squad for the three-day match would proceed to Nagpur. The players selected for the first Test will then assemble in Mumbai on February 20 and practice at Wankhede Stadium till February 25" Lele remarked.

Replying to a question, the Board Secretary said there were no Mumbai players in the India-A side since they would get an opportunity in the second tour game between Mumbai and Australia from February 22-24. "Our main idea is to try out as many players as possible before the three Tests" observed Borde. He denied having given any orders to local associations to prepare flat wickets in the three Tests. Indeed Lele suggested that even the Vidarbha Cricket Association which hosts the opener at Nagpur has been asked to prepare a 'sporting wicket'.

The India-A squad: Sadagoppan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das, VVS Laxman (captain), Dinesh Mongia, Hemang Badani, Mohd. Kaif, Nayan Mongia (wicketkeeper), Ashish Nehra, Debashis Mohanty, Rahul Sanghvi, Harbhajan Singh, Balaji Rao, Gagan Khoda and Javed Zaman.