Four changes in Indian squad for final Test

If the excitement and tension of the second Test match was not enough, the Indian selectors had players, scribes and fans alike in a state of suspense as they held a long meeting to select the team for the third and final Test against Australia to be played at Chennai from March 18 to 22. While conventional cricket wisdom suggests that you should never change a winning combination, selectoral wisdom believes otherwise. Sairaj Bahutule, Nilesh Kulkarni, Javagal Srinath and Sameer Dighe find their names in the squad for the third Test. Losing out are Venkatapathi Raju, Venkatesh Prasad and Ashish Nehra. Nayan Mongia who suffered an injury, while he was hit on the face by a ball from Harbhajan Singh will play if fit. Otherwise, Mumbai's Sameer Dighe gets a second lease on life.

Srinath, who has not submitted his fitness certificate yet, is expected to be fit by the time the third Test starts. In the event that he is not fit, Orissa swing bowler Debashish Mohanty will get a look in. Mohanty, who scalped all ten wickets in a Duleep Trophy match recently, was not in the squad for either the first or the second Tests. Ajit Agarkar, who pulled out of the squad for the second Test citing illness has since returned to full fitness. However, he has not been put on the stand by list.

Venkatapathi Raju, who picked just one wicket in the second Test, loses out. It is clear however that the Indian think tank is looking for a left arm spinner to tie down one end while offspinners attack at the other end. Nilesh Kulkarni who has played two Tests for India previously earns a recall. Kulkarni's first Test was a high scoring draw at the Sinhalese Sports Club in 1997, where Sri Lanka, spearheaded by Sanath Jayasuriya's 340 blunted the Indian spinners. He played a second Test against the same opponents at home later in the season but did not get a chance to bowl in the rain affected game. It is also interesting to note that Steve Waugh spoke very highly of the left arm spinner soon after the tour game against Mumbai. How much that would have gone in the left arm spinner's favour only the selectors can say.

Ashish Nehra, who did not get a look in, has been left out too. The left arm mediumpacer from Delhi will have to count himself unlucky as India are unlikely to play more than one mediumpacer in the Chennai Test. After the crushing 171-run win in Kolkata, the Indians will be on a high and push hard for a win. After the home side lost the first Test at Mumbai much has been said and written in the media. The mood of the public too was turning against Sourav Ganguly and his musketeers. As has always been the case in Indian cricket, one good win has turned the tide.

Yet, the changes made in the squad are surprising to say the least. Sairaj Bahutule, who impressed in the warm up game against the Australians could not find a place in the squad for the first two Tests. And yet, after Narendra Hirwani was ruled out, Bahutule finds himself back in the squad. A young leggie with plenty of variation and grit, Bahutule could easily be a matchwinner on his day. The fact that he can bat more than a bit would have done his chances a world of good.

Some places in the side simply cannot be touched after recent performances. The seven batting slots - Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagoppan Ramesh, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Hemang Badani - have been retained. The two offspinners, Harbhajan Singh and Sharandeep Singh too find their names prominently in the squad for the Chennai Test.

Indian squad for third Test: Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagoppan Ramesh, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Hemang Badani, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Debashish Mohanty (stand by for Srinath), Nayan Mongia, Sameer Dighe (stand by for Mongia), Harbhajan Singh, Sharandeep Singh, Sairaj Bahutule and Nilesh Kulkarni.