Mumbai:Underperforming opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan were on Wednesday rested on medical grounds along with rookie medium pacer Umesh Yadav while while big-hitting Yusuf Pathan and medium pacer Ashok Dinda staged a comeback in India’s 15-member squad for next month’s Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh.
The national selectors, who met here, also elevated Virat Kohli as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s deputy a day after the Delhi youngster played an extraordinary innings of 133 not out against Sri Lanka to keep India in the hunt for a place in the finals of the ongoing tri-series in Australia.
The selectors also decided to retain veteran Sachin Tendulkar in the team, giving him an opportunity to score his 100th international century.
Selection panel chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth insisted that the team picked for the March 11-22 tournament at Dhaka was the best possible outfit and it was done after taking into consideration the fitness report of the team’s physiotherapist as well as a detailed talk with the team management in Australia.
Srikkanth said Kohli’s elevation to vice captaincy, even in the presence of Gautam Gambhir and the under-performing Suresh Raina, was done with a look at the future and for grooming him to take over the mantle when the need arises. “I think the question is that we all have to look forward to a slightly futuristic point of view. We all, the selection committee and the board, feel that Virat Kohli is a good future captaincy material,” he said.
“Time has also come to groom youngsters in the form of cricket as well as what you call captaincy. I think probably that is the reason the selection committee and the board decided that Virat Kohli should be the vice captain,” said the former India opener.
The selectors’ recall of Dinda for Yadav, who was rested, was also on expected lines and a reward for the Bengal pacer’s outstanding season in domestic first class cricket.
The 27-year-old bowler took 37 wickets in Ranji Trophy and then grabbed 22 more in three games in Duleep Trophy that helped East Zone capture the inter-zonal title for the first time in its long history.
The rest of the touring party currently Down Under retained their berths and some of them like Raina and Ravindra Jadeja were distinctly lucky to hold on to their positions despite a below-par display in Australia.
Apart from India, arch rivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh will take part in the Asia Cup to be held in Mirpur from March 11 to 22.
India will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on March 13 while they will take on Bangladesh (March 16) and Pakistan (March 18). The final is scheduled to be held on March 22.
The Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virat Kohli (v-capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, Ashok Dinda. (PTI)
