India unveils World Cup team, Rohit and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 dropped
The Indian selection committee has announced the team for the Cricket World Cup, which is set to start in the sub-continent from 19 February. The team would be led by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Piyush-c82317 Chawla - the leg-spinner
who has been out of the national team for more than two years - yet finds himself included in the team.
The team was announced by the chairman of the national selection committee Kris Srikkanth. The former Indian captain claimed that the team was the best available talent in the country. He added that he has total confidence that the team
can end their 28-year wait for a one-day World Cup.
"This particular Indian team is doing brilliantly for the past couple of years in both Test and one-day international (ODI) cricket. They are playing consistently not only in India but outside," he told reporters after the team was announced.
Srikkanth added, "We are confident this team will do well and win the World Cup for us in front of the home crowd."
Srikkanth, who was a member of the team that lifted the trophy in 1983, added that the selection committee had thought long and hard about the composition of the team and hence included a large spin contingent in the squad.
He said, "Don't forget that you are playing in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. The spinners probably play a very major role on the turning wickets. I am confident that the kind of balance we have, the kind of batting line-up we have, this team led by Dhoni will
do the job for us."
Meanwhile, the surprise omission in the team is middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, who had been hailed as a future prospect for Indian cricket. However, his inconsistency has meant that he has been forced to cool his heels and concentrate
on the Twenty20 format, where he will be one of the star attractions in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who was a vital cog in the pace attack recently, is also set to miss the tournament after failing to make the cut. The lanky pacer had a decent run in the Test series against South Africa, but failed to convince
the selectors of his abilities in the shorter format of the game.
He must be a disappointed man, as he was one also one of the mainstays of the team, and his ability to generate disconcerting bounce might be missed by the Indian squad.
The bowling attack for the hosts will be led by left-armer Zaheer Khan with Harbhajan Singh the leading spinner in the team. Zaheer would be accompanied by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Praveen-Kumar-c82600 and the hero of India’s stunning win in the second
ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 last week, Munaf Patel.
Besides Harbhajan the regular spinners in the team are Chawla and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ravichandran-Ashwin-c84208. The off-spinner Ashwin has got his career off to an impressive start, and he is known for his bowling at the end of the innings.
His presence would give the attack greater options in the spin department. The batting line-up on the other hand is easily the strongest in the competition with the record-breaking Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and
Yuvraj Singh being the mainstays.
Squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virat-Kohli-c95424, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Ashwin-c2228.
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