Mumbai: The national cricket selectors are likely to pick all the three spinners - leggie Anil Kumble, offie Harbhajan Singh and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik who impressed during the home series against the West Indies - when they assemble on Monday to select the team for the 47-day tour of New Zealand starting from December 1.
Though Anil Kumble did not play in the last four of the seven One-dayers against the West Indies after a string of poor performances, the Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly made it quite clear after the third One-dayer at Rajkot that Kumble was rested so that he would be fresh for the New Zealand tour. Kartik bowled a fine spell at Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Jodhpur and looks almost certain to make it to the 16-member team along with Harbhajan Singh who is carrying a slight niggle but should be fit in time for the New Zealand tour. The selectors may opt for four seamers - Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra - as the wickets in New Zealand are fast and bouncy. With the selectors planning to pick just one team for both the two-match Test series and the seven-match One-day series, Parthiv Patel would be the only specialist wicket-keeper in the side while Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid is expected to keep wickets in the One-dayers till next year's World Cup at least. Probably the easiest for the selectors to pick would be the eight batsmen, including an all-rounder. Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the One-day series against the Windies due to a hamstring injury, has been declared fit. Tendulkar, along with Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif and all rounder Sanjay Bangar will form the nucleus of Indian batting. The selection committee, chaired by former Test player Brijesh Patel comprises of Kiran More (West Zone), Kirti Azad (North), Pronab Roy (East) and Sanjay Jagdale (central). India (likely): Saurav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Sanjay Bangar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper) and Ashish Nehra.
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Thatsspecial: Windies Quest
Tags: cricket, mumbai, anil kumble, harbhajan singh, murali kartik, new zealand, indian skipper saurav ganguly, new zealand, ahmedabad, vadodara, jodhpur, brijesh patel, kiran more, kirti azad, pronab roy, sanjay jagdale, rahul dravid, virender sehwag, sachin tendulkar, v v s laxman, yuvraj singh, mohammed kaif, sanjay bangar, harbhajan singh, javagal srinath, zaheer khan, ajit agarkar, parthiv patel, ashish nehra.
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