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| October 5, 2003 | Sunday | Sha’aban 8, 1424 |
Chopra named in Indian Test squad
RAJKOT, Oct 4: Opener Akash Chopra was on Saturday named in the Indian team for the first Test against New Zealand to be played at Ahmedabad from Wednesday.
The 26 year-old’s fine showing in two warm-up matches against New Zealand helped clinch a berth even as the selectors stuck to a tested batting line-up which included Vangipurappu Laxman.
The Ganguly-led team has only one specialist opener in Chopra, the other berth going to Virender Sehwag, essentially a middle-order batsman who has done well as an opener in both Tests and one-dayers.
Chopra, who slammed an unbeaten 103 for Board President’s XI and then a solid 66 for India ‘A’ against the visiting New Zealanders, plays for Sehwag’s Delhi team in domestic competitions.
Chopra was chosen ahead of openers Sadagoppan Ramesh, who struck a century for India ‘A’ against the visitors, Shiv Sundar Das, Wasim Jaffer and Gautam Gambhir.
Left-hander Yuvraj Singh, a regular in the one-day squads, also found a place in the team on the strength of his half-century for Board President’s XI at Visakhapatnam last week.
In the absence of the injured Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan leads an inexperienced pace attack which consists of Aavishkar Salvi and Lakshmipathy Balaji.
Mumbai seamer Salvi and Tamil Nadu’s Balaji have played One-day Internationals but are yet to make their Test debuts.
The selection committee, consisting of Syed Kirmani, Kirti Azad, Pranab Roy, Sanjay Jagdale and Kiran More, also picked Mumbai leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule as a back up for Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
Squad: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Sairaj Bahutule, Zaheer Khan, Aavishkar Salvi, Lakshmipathy Balaji.—AFP
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