November 17, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 21, 1424

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HYDERABAD (India), Nov 16: India’s selectors on Sunday named two young fast bowlers for the upcoming tour of Australia after burning the proverbial midnight oil to pick the 16-man squad.

Right-arm quickie Aavishkar Salvi and left-armer Irfan Pathan were given the nod along with back-in-favour opening batsman Sadagopan Ramesh for the four Test matches against the world champions starting next month.

Salvi, 22, has played one-day internationals before but not a Test match, while Pathan gets his first look-in at the top level after leading the Indian under-19 team to victory in a tournament in Pakistan earlier this month.

The selectors, who met after India’s one-day match against New Zealand here on Saturday night, deliberated till the early hours of Sunday before pruning the list of 20 probables announced earlier.

Left-handed Ramesh, who played the last of his 19 Tests in Sri Lanka in 2001, will be the third opener in the touring squad alongside Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag.

Captain Sourav Ganguly, deputy Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Venkatsai Laxman form an experienced middle-order, while spin will be in the hands of the seasoned Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble.

Left-arm pacemen Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra lead India’s new-ball attack in the absence of the retired Javagal Srinath, with Ajit Agarkar, Salvi and Pathan providing the support role.

Young wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, 18, has been put on notice by the addition of one more stumper in Deep Dasgupta, whose last Test was against the West Indies in May last year.

Ganguly, who attended the selection meeting with coach John Wright, said he was leading a balanced squad for what will be a very tough tour.

“I feel bad that spinner Murali Kartik missed out, but then there was no role for a third spinner in Australia where wickets will suit seam bowling,” he said.

“We have two of the world’s best slow bowlers in Harbhajan and Kumble and the five seam bowlers in the squad give us more options.”

The Indians, who leave for Australia on Friday, will play two warm-up matches before the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane from Dec 4.

The second Test will be played in Adelaide from December 12-16 followed by the third at Melbourne (Dec 26-30) and the fourth at Sydney (January 2-6).

The team for the subsequent one-day series also featuring Zimbabwe will be named later.

History suggests that India, who have not won a Test series outside the sub-continent since 1986, face a harrowing time in Australia.

They have failed to win a series in seven previous tours of Australia, with the last of their three victories in 28 Tests down under coming way back in 1981 on a rare spinning wicket in Melbourne.

On the last two tours of Australia in 1991-1992 and 1999-2000, India lost seven of their eight Test matches, five of them inside four days.

India’s squad for Australia:

Batsmen: Sourav Ganguly (captain - 68 Tests), Rahul Dravid (vice captain - 71), Akash Chopra (2), Virender Sehwag (16), Sachin Tendulkar (107), Venkatsai Laxman (46), Sadagopan Ramesh (19).

Seamers: Zaheer Khan (26), Ajit Agarkar (16), Ashish Nehra (13), Irfan Pathan (0), Aavishkar Salvi (0).

Spinners: Harbhajan Singh (35), Anil Kumble (78).

Wicket-keepers: Parthiv Patel (9), Deep Dasgupta (8).

Coach: John Wright

Manager: Shivlal Yadav — AP