CHENNAI, July 7: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Wednesday named in India's 14-man squad for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, ending a seven-month absence from international cricket due to a finger injury.

Harbhajan, who turned 24 last week, underwent surgery on his bowling hand after the first Test in Australia last December and missed the rest of the Test and one-day series against the world champions and the subsequent historic tour of Pakistan.

"Harbhajan is a world-class bowler and it is great to have him back," said Indian coach John Wright of the spinner who has claimed 104 one-day wickets from 82 matches. Harbhajan will team up with veteran Anil Kumble to bolster India's spin attack in the six-nation tournament.

Also back for the event is opening bowler Zaheer Khan, who missed the last two Tests against Pakistan in April because of a hamstring injury. Zaheer is one of the three left-arm seamers in the squad along with Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan. Lakshmipathy Balaji takes the fourth fast bowling spot ahead of Ajit Agarkar.

Sachin Tendulkar, the world's most prolific one-day batsman with a record 13,134 runs and 37 centuries, heads the strong Indian batting that includes skipper Saurav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.

Test wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has been retained in the squad despite the team management making it clear that Dravid will continue to don the gloves in one-day cricket to accommodate an extra batsman.

"Dravid may not be a specialist wicket-keeper but he has been great behind the stumps over the last two years and we plan to continue with that policy," Ganguly said. It will be India's first international engagement since the tour of Pakistan in March-April when they won the Test series 2-1 and the one-dayers 3-2.

SQUAD: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid (vice-captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, Lakshmipathy Balaji.