The All-India Senior Selection Committee met in Delhi to pick Indian teams for the remaining two ODIs and the first two Test matches against South Africa. Chairman of Selectors, Mr. Sandeep Patil addressed the media after Hon. BCCI Secretary, Anurag Thakur, announced the teams.
Among other queries, Mr. Patil was asked about the injury status of R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma, both of whom have been named in the Test squad. Ashwin sustained a side strain during the first ODI in Kanpur and didn’t play the next two matches. Ishant had pulled his hamstring while playing for Delhi in the round-two Ranji Trophy match against Haryana.
Mr. Patil said that both of India’s key bowlers are expected to be fit in time for the Test matches. Ishant, however, will miss the first Test of the series, serving the one-match suspension from ICC.
“Ishant has been declared fit for the second Test match”, Mr. Patil said. “He will not take the field during the first Test because he has been suspended by the ICC but because he is available for the second Test, we all felt it would be better for him to join the team from the first Test itself.”
“For Ashwin, we have got a report from the Indian team physio. Ashwin’s fitness test will be conducted just before the fourth ODI (in Chennai) but he will certainly be fit for the Test matches.”
In the 16-man squad picked for the first two Tests, the highlight is the return of Ravindra Jadeja. He has delivered stellar performances in the ongoing Ranji Trophy for Saurashtra. In two matches so far he has 24 wickets to his name and two half-centuries. Mr. Patil said his selection in the Test squad was based on the team’s requirement according to the conditions and wickets expected in the series.
“We don’t discuss just 15 players. We look at every player that represents BCCI. We do consider domestic performances and at the same time we see if that particular player fits into a slot and is useful to the team. We also see the wickets we are likely to play on. Based on all these factors we picked Jadeja,” he said.
There was also curiosity over a new name that has been penned in the Board President XI squad for a two-day warm-up match against South Africa. Nathu Singh, a 20-year-old rookie pace bowler from Rajasthan, has been included in the 13-member squad with three first-class matches under his belt.
Mr. Patil said he and his colleagues in the selection committee saw a special potential in him and hence decided to give him an opportunity.
“We are always looking for something special. The selectors’ job is not only to go by the score-sheets. If that was the case, the statisticians would do a better job than the selectors,” Mr. Patil said. “We do watch all domestic matches where we try to see that spark. We have seen some glimpses of that in Nathu Singh and we want to give him an opportunity.”
