Laxman to lead India `A’, camp rescheduled

Among the others in the team who almost selected themselves, the only surprise inclusion was that of medium pacer Javed Zaman from Assam, whose name had not figured in any of the Challenger series teams nor was he among the probables chosen for the conditioning camp.

Explaining the selection, chairman of the selection committee, Chandu Borde said, “Two of the selectors saw him at Guwahati and he has also done well in the Duleep Trophy (he took five wickets at Pune against West Zone last week).”

Lele, however, indicated that Zaman was only a sundry inclusion saying that a couple of players will have to sit out.

Nayan Mongia will keep thw wickets while Debashis Mohanty (Orissa) will share the new ball with Delhi medium pacer Ashish Nehra.

Leg spinner S Balaji Rao (TN), left-arm orthodox Rahul Sanghvi (Delhi) and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (Punjab) will form the spin trio.

Making the grade among the batsmen were recent triple centurion Gagan Khoda, Shib Sunder Das, Mohd. Kaif, Sadagoppan Ramesh and Hemang Badani. The selection committee, which was also supposed to pick the team for the now called off Sharjah series, announced changes in the original schedule for the Challenger series and the practice camp.

According to the revised schedule, a five-day conditioning camp will now be held from February 7-11 ( and not in two stages as was the case earlier) followed by the Challenger Series from February 12 to 15.

The Indian team for the first Test at Mumbai will be declared at Nagpur on February 19, informed Lele.

The selected team will then assemble at Mumbai on the 20th instead of Chennai as was planned earlier.

The Board’s President XI that will play the third practice match against the Aussies at New Delhi will also be named at Nagpur.

The decision of appointing a new India `B’ captain for the Challenger series following Sachin Tendulkar’s request has also been put on hold.

“The captain (for India `B’) will be selected during the camp itself,” Borde said.

The Team: VVS Laxman (Capt.), Sadagoppan Ramesh, Shib Sunder Das, Dinesh Mongia, Hemang Badani, Mohammed Kaif, Nayan Mongia, Ashish Nehra, Rahul Sanghvi, Harbhajan Singh, S Balaji Rao, Gagan Khoda, Javed Zaman.