Ajay Ratra is chosen to lead India colts

MUMBAI, JANUARY 8: Haryanaâ€™s promising wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra will lead the Indian colts against the visting England u...

MUMBAI, JANUARY 8: Haryanaâ€™s promising wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra will lead the Indian colts against the visting England under-19 team for the first of the three Test series to be played from January 9-12 at the Wankhede stadium.

The first Test should be an interesting one considering that the visitors have shown some vulnerability to spin in the practice matches. The Indian teamâ€™s prospects could receive a setback due to the abstract planning of the Cricket Board. The Board announced the final team a day before the match and that too in the afternoon thus leaving no scope for coach Roger Binny to get to see the boys in action at the nets before picking the final eleven with authority. As things stood on the eve of the Test, the England under-19 team had a good work out in the morning and will go out in the middle with a better positive frame of mind. The Indians still have the pyschological advantage of using spin to their forte, the side comprising of three spinners.

M Dharmichand, who took 12 wickets in the practice match for the Rest of India team at the MIG Club two days ago, was the automatic choice for the off-spinnerâ€™s slot. Right arm leg spinner Amit Mishra and Kashinath Khadkikar are the other two spinners. Parthiv Patel, also a upcoming wicketkeeper batsman, also finds a place besides his wicketkeeper skipper. Gnaneshwar Rao with a century knock had enough credentials to back his candidature for a middle order batsman slot.

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Considering the true nature of the Mumbai wicket, the side winning the toss will opt to field first to gather whatever little juice the early wicket offers. Kashinath Khadkikar, the captain of the under-19 Rest of India side and who was rumoured to be found over-age, is also in the side.

Interestingly, Haryana has as many as five players in the team. Haryana was at the forefront of the over age issue where five players were found to be overaged in the junior National championship.

The English side also has three spinners to see that way. According to their manager, Graham Saville, apart from the two spinners, their skipper, Ian Bell, is also â€˜learningâ€™ his offspinners.

Teams: India: Ajay Ratra (Capt, Haryana), Vinayak Mane (Mumbai), Gautam Gambhir (Delhi), Y G Rao (AP), K Khadkikar (Maharashtra), Ishan Ganda (Haryana), Parthiv Patel (Gujarat), M Dharmichand (Karnataka), V Sivaramakrishnan (Tamil Nadu), N Agarwal (Haryana), S Trivedi (Gujarat), Alind Naidu (Vidarbha), Amit Mishra (Haryana), A Das (West Bengal), M Singh (MP).

Coach: Roger Binny

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England: Ian Bell (Capt), Kadeer Ali, Justin Bishop, Robert Ferley, Kyle Bogg, Andrew Mcgarry, Nadeem Malik, Gordon Mitchell, Monty Panesar, Ian Pattison, Nicky Pang, Gary Pratt, John Sadler, Chris Tremlett, Mark Wallace.

Coach: Tim Boon

Umpires: S K Sharma, Samir Bandekar.

SP leader Azam Khan walks out of jail after 23 months, hundreds of supporters welcome him

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