| Event: | Top End Series 2006 |
DateLine: 26th May 2006
Test discards Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir are the prominent members of the India A squad that will participate in a four-nation series in Darwin and Cairns. Patel, who has played 19 Tests and 14 limited-overs internationals, has been named vice-captain with Venugopala Rao to skipper the side against Australia A, New Zealand A and Pakistan A. Delhi’s Gambhir, 24, also boasts some experience at the top-level cricket with his record of 13 Tests and 16 ODIs.
India selectors will use the tour as a way of blooding several young prospects including teenagers Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, and Cheteshway Pujara with an eye on the future. The trio was the integral part of India's Under-19 World Cup team that came short against Pakistan in the final. India open their tour with a four-day match against the Northern Territory's Chief Minister's XI on June 30, just two days after reaching Darwin. The series is played in Darwin until July 14 before moving to Cairns for a further fortnight.
The squad: India A: Venugopala Rao (captain), Parthiv Patel, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, S. Badrinath, R.S.Sodhi, T.P.Singh, Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Pujara, R.P. Singh, S.S. Paul, Ravindra Jadeja and Siddarth Trivedi.