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Indian’s fab four could be united for another big gig against Australia after Sourav Ganguly defied conventional wisdom to be chosen in the squad for next week’s first Test.
Batsmen Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid have a combined age of 139, but all were included in the 15-man group from which the teams for the first two Tests will be chosen.
They, alongside venerable captain Anil Kumble, 37, will be out to conjure a series victory, which may just be the right note on which several will seek to retire.
There has been talk in India that members of the aforementioned quartet would be allowed to approach the board with their plans to retire and in return be given the chance to play out a final Test series.
“This ‘deal’ operates on the understanding that they will be picked for the series irrespective of their performances, but they will have to say bye-bye even if they score a hundred,” an unnamed board official told the Times of India.
The appointment of a new selection panel on Saturday appears to have saved former skipper Ganguly from the end, given the previous panel did not deem the 36-year-old worthy of a place in the Rest of India side that played Delhi for the Irani Trophy last week.
Ganguly also did not take part in the start of India’s conditioning camp that began on Tuesday in Bangalore.
He has often struggled against Australia, his average against the tourists 31.73 – well down on his overall average of 41.74 in 109 Tests.
Among other inclusions, young batsman Subramaniam Badrinath is thought to be a strong chance of playing in the Tests, in no small part due to his being from Chennai – the same part of the country as Srikkanth.
Spinners Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have a capable back-up in the form of 25-year-old legspinner Amit Mishra, who claimed match figures of 5-116 in the just completed unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A at Chennai.
The Indian pace battery is also strong, with Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan expected to claim what is likely to be two available spots ahead of RP Singh and Munaf Patel.
India Test squad: Anil Kumble (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Dhoni, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh.
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