India's prospects in the tri-nation one-day series inSri Lanka suffered a blow as master batsman Sachin Tendulkar will miss most ofit due to a foot injury, announced national selectors who also dropped DineshMongia and Harvinder Singh from the squad that toured Zimbabwe.
"Tendulkar needs two or three weeks rest. He willjoin the team for the last league match on August 2 against New Zealand," boardsecretary Jaywant Lele told reporters in Mumbai after the much delayed selectioncommittee meeting today.
Getting a recall for the series, featuring India, NewZealand and Sri Lanka, are left hand batsmen Amey Khuresia and Yuvraj Singh andleft arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi.
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The team: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid (vice-capt),V.V.S. Laxman, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe (wk), Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra,Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Ajit Agarkar, DebashishMohanty, Rahul Sanghvi, Yuvraj Singh and Amey Khuresia.
Selection committee chairman Chandu Borde, who arrived two hours late from Punedue to heavy rains, said "as Tendulkar will not be playing in the firstthree league matches, we thought Khuresia was the right replacement to open theinnings with skipper Saurav Ganguly".
"Khuresia is a dashing batsman and can go over thetop in the first 15 overs where there is field restriction. He is also a verygood fielder," Borde said.
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Asked how left-arm spinner Sanghvi could figure in the15-man squad in preference to off-spinner Sharandeep Singh of Punjab, Borde said"We needed variations in the spin department and, more over, HarbhajanSingh is bowling well and there was no need to have another offie in theside".
"The wicket in Sri Lanka helps both medium pacersand spinners and hence we have taken Sanghvi, Borde said.Borde said another left-arm spinner Murali Kartik of Railways was also discussedbut he had some fitness problems.
Borde, who came to know about Tendulkar's foot injuryonly during the meeting, said, "about three to four players will beincluded for the Test series which will start after the triangulartournament".
The Indians are scheduled to play three-Test matches inSri Lanka.
Lele said the selectors would meet for picking up theTest team either on July 27 or 28 and the venue of the meeting would be decidedlater.
The Indian team, which would be playing their firstmatch in the triangular series on July 20 against New Zealand, will leave forColombo on July 15 from Delhi. Coach John Wright will join the team in Delhi.
PTI
