Tendulkar to bat at number four

BRISBANE, JANUARY 9: Demoralised after a 0-3 Test series defeat against Australia, India will aim to regain their poise when they gear up ...

BRISBANE, JANUARY 9: Demoralised after a 0-3 Test series defeat against Australia, India will aim to regain their poise when they gear up against arch-rivals Pakistan bolstered by the return of express paceman Shoaib Akhtar in their opening day-night tie of the triangular One-day cricket series on Monday.

Skipper Sachin Tendulkar has decided to drop to number four in the batting order and V V S Laxman, whose majestic 167 in the final Test at Sydney helped him come into the limited overs squad, is likely to open.Laxman will pair with left-hander Saurav Ganguly with 30-year-old Samir Dighe, who will make his India debut, kept as a stand-bye for the taxing role.

India, who beat Pakistan by 47 runs in a World Cup Super League tie in England last June when the two teams last met, will have to face the fury of tearaway Akhtar whose ban for suspect bowling action has been lifted for this tournament by the game’s world governing body, ICC.

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“We have faced him before, it’s nothing new,” Tendulkar said as theIndian team held nets at the Gabba a couple of hours prior to the start of the opening tie in the tournament between Australia and Pakistan. (PTI)

Teams
India (from): Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Saurav Ganguly, V V S Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Robin Singh, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Jacob Martin, Samir Dighe, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Ajit Agarkar, Nikhil Chopra, Sunil Joshi, Venkatesh Prasad, Debasis Mohanty.

Pakistan (from): Wasim Akram (capt), Saeed Anwar, Mohammed Wasim, Abdur Razzaq, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Azhar Mehmood, Shoaib Malik.

Umpires: Steve Davis and Simon Taufel (both Australia).