Jadeja, Sidhu get the boot

NEW DELHI, JAN 21: The National selectors have finally decided it is time to have a specialist pair of Test openers, instead of relying o...

NEW DELHI, JAN 21: The National selectors have finally decided it is time to have a specialist pair of Test openers, instead of relying on makeshift pairs. That was the impression given by chairman of the selection committee Ajit Wadekar here this afternoon while omitting Ajay Jadeja and Navjot Singh Sidhu from the Indian team which will take on Pakistan in the first Test at Chennai on January 28.

After a 14-member list was released today, Wadekar said Hyderabad8217;s VVS Laxman and Tamil Nadu left-hander Sadagopan Ramesh will open the Indian innings. Another surprise was the inclusion of Bengal8217;s rising star all-rounder Laxman Ratan Shukla in the team. Led by Azharuddin, the rest of the side comprises those who played the Test series against New Zealand recently.

Briefing newsmen about the new opening combination of Laxman and Ramesh, Wadekar explained, 8220;We wanted to have a sound pair of opening batsmen as all these years we had experimented with makeshift openers. It has not given the desired results. Wehad not gone into the problem of regular openers in the past. Now, we are looking for a permanent pair.8221;

Wadekar said the selectors felt Jadeja 8220;had lost confidence to open in Test matches after he was branded as a one-day player. We had tried him out in New Zealand where he didn8217;t play swing bowling properly.8221; He added the selectors wanted to try out youngsters. 8220;We discussed other names including Bengal8217;s Debang Gandhi and Mumbai8217;s Wasim Jaffer, both of whom have done well in domestic tournaments,8221; he said.

Wadekar said, 8220;It is not the end of the road for Sherry Sidhu. In England, several cricketers have made a comeback after being ignored for a couple of series. He Sidhu can also come back.8221;

Wadekar said the selectors were 8220;highly impressed8221; with Shukla, who rattled up a pile of runs in domestic tournaments this year. 8220;The fact that he is young should not come in the way of selection. We selectors have seen his potential. He is an exciting prospect. We have enough talent at ourdisposal.8221;

Giving reasons for the inclusion of all-rounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Wadekar said: 8220;Although he started as a one-day player, he has done well against the touring West Indies A team and in the Duleep Trophy final. We feel he is a good Test cricketer as well. Our middle-order is quite strong. Kanitkar might come in if any one of them gets injured.8221;

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Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar did not figure in the list as, according to Wadekar, he was still not fully fit. 8220;The doctors have allowed him to bowl one hour every day for a week to find out if he still experiences pain in the shoulder. If he feels he is fit enough, he can be considered for the second Test,8221; he said. While Vinod Kambli is yet to submit his fitness certificate, Lele added some other names like that of Uttar Pradesh all-rounder JP Yadav and Delhi8217;s left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi were discussed.

The Indian team will assemble in Chennai on January 25. The final playing eleven8217;s selection will be left to the team management, Lelesaid.

The Team

Mohd Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, VVS Laxman, Nayan Mongia, Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Joshi, Sadagopan Ramesh, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Laxmi Ratan Shukla. Coach-cum-manager: Anshuman Gaekwad.