Ravindra Jadeja elevated to the national colours by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

India in Sri Lanka 2008/09

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DateLine: 19th January 2009

 

Ravindra Jadeja's strong showing in the Ranji Trophy has been rewarded with a maiden call-up to India's limited-overs side for the tour of Sri Lanka. Medium-pacer Praveen Kumar, who was dropped for the home ODIs against England, also makes a return. The selectors have made only two changes from the 15-man squad that took on England in the fourth and fifth ODIs two months ago, with Jadeja and Praveen replacing Harbhajan Singh, who is out with a hamstring injury, and batsman Virat Kohli.

 

Jadeja, part of India's World Cup-winning Under-19 squad and IPL champions Rajasthan Royals last year, made a compelling case for himself with his Ranji Trophy performances for Saurashtra this season. He was, by a fair margin, the allrounder of the tournament. Along with Mumbai's Dhawal Kulkarni, he was the leading wicket-taker, with 42 wickets, and he scored 739 runs at 67.18 to finish sixth on the run-scorers' list.

 

The selectors have largely stuck with the team that beat England 5-0. Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar's inclusion bolsters the pace attack, which also includes Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel. There is no place yet for Sreesanth, who is fit again after a prolonged side-strain problem. With Harbhajan injured, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who spent the England series on the bench, keeps his place as the lone specialist spinner. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, though, will have plenty of effective spin options in the form of Yusuf Pathan, Jadeja, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

 

On the batting front, Rohit Sharma has been included despite his patchy form at the international level while Kohli misses out despite impressing in the absence of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in the ODIs in Sri Lanka last year.

 

The short trip to Sri Lanka, which begins on January 28, comprises five ODIs and a Twenty20 international - the first in Sri Lanka. The Indian team will assemble in Chennai on January 25, and leave for Sri Lanka the next day.

 

India squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Pragyan Ojha.