NEW DELHI — Middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane was Monday named captain of a second-string Indian team for a short limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe as the selectors rested key players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav were the other regulars not picked for the tour that comprises three one-day and two Twenty20 matches.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who turns 35 Friday, was included in the 15-man squad even though he has not played one-day cricket for India since 2011 and Twenty20 matches since 2012.
Murali Vijay, Robin Uthappa and Manoj Tiwary also made comebacks in the shorter formats, while seamer Sandeep Sharma and batsman Manish Pandey were the two uncapped players in the squad.
There is no specialist wicketkeeper in the side with Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa or Kedhar Jadhav likely to step in, having kept wickets in domestic games. All matches will be played in Harare, with the one-dayers scheduled for July 10, 12 and 14, and the Twenty20 games on July 17 and 19.
India discard Gautam Gambhir is training in Perth under former Australia Test batsman Justin Langer to revive his international career, fine-tuning skills that made him the world's No. 1 Test batsman in 2009.
The 33-year-old opener was dumped from India's one-day squad in early 2013 and played the last of his 56 Tests in England last year.
The Delhi southpaw has led the Kolkata franchise to two Indian Premier League (IPL) titles but is keen to return to international cricket. To fulfill that, Gambhir has landed in Perth to train under Western Australia coach Langer, also a former left-handed opener.
“I've always followed JL's career closely,” Gambhir told the Hindustan Times newspaper.
“He built his game block by block, step by step. After the death of my coach Parthasarthy Sharma I was looking for someone who could understand my game. I wanted to give it a shot with JL and that is why I am in Perth.”
Langer played 105 Tests for Australia, often joining Matthew Hayden to form a formidable opening pair, before retiring in 2007 and take up coaching. “I met JL briefly when he came to India with the Perth Scorchers during last year's Champions League T20,” Gambhir said.
“I could instantly relate to him. What I like about JL is his intensity. His body language on the crease while batting or otherwise meant business. He is a no-nonsense guy and I like it that way.” — Agencies
