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Mumbai: Karnataka's in-form young
opener KL Rahul has staked a strong
claim for inclusion in India's Test
squad to Australia which is to be
picked here on Tuesday by the five-
man selection committee headed by
Sandeep Patil.
The two centuries (185 and 130) he
hit for South Zone, albeit in a losing
cause, in the Duleep Trophy final
against Central Zone could not have
come at a better time for the 23-
year-old Bengaluru-born batsman.
The selectors are bound to give a
serious thought of including this
Karnataka youngster as the third
opener in the squad behind first-
choice Murali Vijay and Shikhar
Dhawan - who did the duty in the
first two Tests of the series that India
lost to England last season.
Rahul is expected to be included as
the reserve opener in place of the
experienced 33-year-old Gautam
Gambhir who looked out of sorts and
failed to cross 20 in his four innings
when included in place of Dhawan in
the last two Tests in England.
Rahul, however, could face some
competition from his teammate
Robin Uthappa who scored a ton
against East Zone in the same
competition but failed to prosper in
the summit clash at Delhi.
The selectors would also deliberate
on the choice of the second wicket
keeper between Wriddhiman Saha,
who was the reserve keeper In
England, and Namaj Ojha who
replaced the former midway through
the tour after Saha was injured.
Ojha has forced his way into
reckoning after scoring a double
hundred in the Duleep Trophy game
against North Zone but did not do
well with the bat in the final against
South.
Saha, on the other hand, is keeping
wickets in the absence of the rested
Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the ODI
series in progress against Sri Lanka
and seems to hold the edge. The
selectors are bound to think long and
hard at the bowling combination and
it will depend on whether they opt
for a smaller squad or a jumbo squad
of 18 that they picked for England.
The five-man panel is bound to
choose a battery of pace bowlers for
the bouncy wickets in Australia but
injuries to Mohammed Shami and
Varun Aaron, the former before the
start of the ODI series against Lanka
and the latter in yesterday's opener
in Cuttack, has queered the pitch a
bit.
Both should make the squad if the
medical opinion states they will be fit
from the beginning of the tour for
which the Indian squad is set to
depart on November 21.
Read More KL Rahul expected in Indian Test squad for Australia
opener KL Rahul has staked a strong
claim for inclusion in India's Test
squad to Australia which is to be
picked here on Tuesday by the five-
man selection committee headed by
Sandeep Patil.
The two centuries (185 and 130) he
hit for South Zone, albeit in a losing
cause, in the Duleep Trophy final
against Central Zone could not have
come at a better time for the 23-
year-old Bengaluru-born batsman.
The selectors are bound to give a
serious thought of including this
Karnataka youngster as the third
opener in the squad behind first-
choice Murali Vijay and Shikhar
Dhawan - who did the duty in the
first two Tests of the series that India
lost to England last season.
Rahul is expected to be included as
the reserve opener in place of the
experienced 33-year-old Gautam
Gambhir who looked out of sorts and
failed to cross 20 in his four innings
when included in place of Dhawan in
the last two Tests in England.
Rahul, however, could face some
competition from his teammate
Robin Uthappa who scored a ton
against East Zone in the same
competition but failed to prosper in
the summit clash at Delhi.
The selectors would also deliberate
on the choice of the second wicket
keeper between Wriddhiman Saha,
who was the reserve keeper In
England, and Namaj Ojha who
replaced the former midway through
the tour after Saha was injured.
Ojha has forced his way into
reckoning after scoring a double
hundred in the Duleep Trophy game
against North Zone but did not do
well with the bat in the final against
South.
Saha, on the other hand, is keeping
wickets in the absence of the rested
Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the ODI
series in progress against Sri Lanka
and seems to hold the edge. The
selectors are bound to think long and
hard at the bowling combination and
it will depend on whether they opt
for a smaller squad or a jumbo squad
of 18 that they picked for England.
The five-man panel is bound to
choose a battery of pace bowlers for
the bouncy wickets in Australia but
injuries to Mohammed Shami and
Varun Aaron, the former before the
start of the ODI series against Lanka
and the latter in yesterday's opener
in Cuttack, has queered the pitch a
bit.
Both should make the squad if the
medical opinion states they will be fit
from the beginning of the tour for
which the Indian squad is set to
depart on November 21.
Read More KL Rahul expected in Indian Test squad for Australia
