Gautam Gambhir’s perseverance in recent times, in the Ranji Trophy and the other BCCI tournaments — and a strong display of intent to stage a comeback into the Indian team — has paid off, with the national selectors picking him as one among the three opening batsmen in the 18-member squad for the five-Test series in England in July-August.
The selectors also appear to have made a bold selection in recalling Rajasthan seamer Pankaj Singh for the England tour.
He was in the Indian squad for the 2007 Test series in Australia, but did not get a game. He is only 29, and this factor probably went in his favour in addition to his value as a genuine swing bowler.
Fast bowler Varun Aaron has also found a place for the England tour.
Gambhir’s last Test was against England at Nagpur in December 2012. Though the Delhi left-hander has not been in spectacular form, Dhoni had hinted before the tour of New Zealand in February this year that Gambhir would be the third option as an opener.
Evidently, he has been picked because the M. Vijay-Shikhar Dhawan combine was inconsistent in the two away Test series in South Africa and New Zealand.
Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, who broke down midway through this season’s IPL, has found a place in the squads for neither the England series nor the ODI series in Bangladesh (June 15 , 17, 19).
There is no room for Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh either.
The selectors have picked a batting team that is without the star players for the three match ODI series in Bangladesh.
The team will be led by Suresh Raina. Karnataka opener Robin Uthappa, who has been in terrific form for KKR in the IPL, has been recalled after six years.
Maharashtra’s Kedar Jadhav has also been given a chance, and so has Gujarat’s left arm spinner Akshar Patel.
Bengal wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and Stuart Binny have been picked for both tours.
The squads:
For ODI series in Bangladesh: Suresh Raina (captain), Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Wriddhiman Saha, Parvez Rasool, Akshar Patel, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra
For the Test series in England: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), M. Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishwar Pandey, Ishant Sharma, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.
