Idea Cup Test Series : Dhoni opts out of India’s Sri Lanka series

July 9, 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has opted out of the Idea Cup three-Test series in Sri Lanka. Speculation had been rife that India’s one-day and T20 captain was considering skipping the Test series part of the tour of Sri Lanka.

In three-and-a-half years, Dhoni has played 29 Tests, 115 ODIs, 10 Twenty20 Internationals and the DLF-IPL T20 for Chennai Super Kings.

“He wanted a break and the BCCI acceded to his request,” said Ratnakar Shetty, Chief Administrative Officer, BCCI. Dhoni had formally made a request to the BCCI officials here on Monday evening. He is reported to have conveyed his decision to Dilip Vengsarkar, Chairman of the national selection committee.

Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said Tendulkar had recovered from the groin strain that had kept him off the Indian squad since March. Dhoni cited fatique for his request to be left out of the series, Shah said.

During the limited-overs Asia Cup in Pakistan that ended Sunday, Dhoni said fatigue was setting in because cricketers were playing non-stop cricket throughout the year.

Dhoni, who was the vice-captain, stood in as skipper in India’s last Test – against South Africa at Kanpur that India won to draw the series 1-1 – when captain Anil Kumble was injured.

The Sri Lanka Test series begins July 23 at Colombo.

Kumble returns as captain of a team that includes two Test rookies, middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, both of whom have featured in some limited-overs internationals.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh returns to the Indian team after serving a suspension for slapping fellow national squad player Shantakumaran Sreesanth during a domestic twenty20 match in May, but the selectors axed Shantakumaran, opener Wasim Jaffer, middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh and all-rounder Irfan Pathan from the 16-member squad.

The selectors also decided to recall left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, who has recovered from an ankle problem.
Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer has been dropped. He was all at sea against the Australian attack and a 73 against South Africa at Chennai, his highest in a sequence of 13 innings did not cry for his inclusion for the tour. Irfan Pathan’s drop in form went against his selection.

Two ’keepers

Skipper Anil Kumble will have the luxury of two wicketkeepers — Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel. The Gujarat left-hander — thanks to Dhoni’s decision — has been recalled for a Test series after a gap of 44 months. His last Test was against Australia at Nagpur in October 2004. Patel also comes in as a third choice opener.

After serving a BCCI ban of five ODIs, Harbhajan Singh returns to the team. The selectors have opted for left-arm finger spinner Pragyan Ojha ahead of the young wrist spinner Piyush Chawla. The selectors seem to have retained Ojha in the team to ascertain his potential in the traditional form of the game.

The seam attack will be in the hands of Ishant Sharma, R.P. Singh, Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan.

The team

Anil Kumble (Capt.),Virender Sehwag,Rahul Dravid,Sachin Tendulkar,Sourav Ganguly,V.V.S. Laxman,Ishant Sharma,Zaheer Khan,R.P. Singh,Dinesh Karthik(WK),Gautam Gambhir,Harbhajan Singh,Pragyan Ojha,Parthiv Patel(WK),Rohit Sharma,Munaf Patel