Rohit Sharma makes Test cut for WI series,Zaheer Khan recall put on hold

Rohit Sharma scored 712 runs in six matches in the last Ranji season at 71.20.

Six years after making his ODI debut,Rohit Sharma was considered for the longer format as the selectors picked a 15-member squad for the two-Test home series against West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday. Bengal fast-medium bowler Mohammed Shami,too,was rewarded for his performance in the first-class matches and also the limited opportunities he got in limited-overs cricket.

The Sandeep Patil-led committee deliberated at length about bringing back Zaheer Khan to the Test fold but eventually decided against it as they felt that the 35-year-old left-arm seamer needed more game-time in domestic cricket before being considered for the top level again.

Rohits inclusion was almost a formality. Hes been carrying the special talent tag for more than half a decade now but surprisingly was never considered for Test cricket. His inconsistency was the main reason he fell off the radar as far as Test cricket was concerned. The closest Sharma came to playing Test cricket was three years ago against South Africa in Nagpur when he was brought in as a cover. An injury during warm-ups before the start of the first days play,however,had put an end to his hopes.

The 26-year-old,however,made runs to force his way back into the Test squad. He scored 712 runs in six matches in the last Ranji season at 71.20,went to South Africa in August and scored 119 in the only match he played against South Africa A. Rohit,widely considered to be Sachin Tendulkars natural successor,will bat at No. 6 if hes preferred over his Mumbai team mate Ajinkya Rahane against West Indies but is expected to move higher up the order following Sachin Tendulkars retirement after this series.

Shami,took 28 wickets in five matches at 21.35 in the last Ranji season,returned with a figures of 4 for 86 in the four-day game he played against South Africa A in Rustenburg.

The selection committee picked the side for this series with an eye on the future and didnt pick Zaheer despite his impressive performance since his return from a six-week private fitness camp in Brive La Gaillarde,France. He took 12 wickets in the three first-class matches he played this season. But the selectors preferred to wait.

Zaheer is certainly in our scheme of things for the overseas tours that start with South Africa next month. Hes a fantastic bowler and we deliberated his case at length in the meeting. Eventually we decided to give him more game-time in domestic cricket because we want to see how his body is responding to workload, a selector told this paper.

Story continues below this ad

Three changes were made to the squad that beat Australia 4-0 earlier this year. Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out due to a shoulder strain for which he has been adviced two weeks rest. Harbhajan Singh and Ashok Dinda were left out and Shami and Amit Mishra replaced them. The latter was brought back to the Test side for the first time after the tour of England in 2011.

The selectors decided to stick to the opening combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay two centuries in the home series against Australia and didnt pick a back-up option as they felt itd be a luxury in Indian conditions.