India drop Raina and Harbhajan for first test

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Batsman Suresh Raina and spinner Harbhajan Singh have been axed from India’s 15-man squad for the first test against West Indies next month, the national cricket board said yesterday.

Suresh Raina

The selectors made a slew of changes to the squad that was whitewashed 4-0 on the recent tour to England but Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh were named after recovering from injury.

India also dropped leg-break bowler Amit Mishra and selected spin trio Pragyan Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Sharma.

Ashwin is uncapped at test level while Sharma has yet to represent India in any form of cricket.

The 31-year-old Harbhajan, who has taken more than 400 test wickets, struggled in England and claimed two wickets in the first two tests before an abdominal strain cut short his tour.  He was also dropped from this month’s one-day squad for the 5-0 home victory over England.

In the pace bowling department, Praveen Kumar and Shantakumaran Sreesanth make way for uncapped pair Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron.

India will play three tests against West Indies. The first match in Delhi starts on Nov. 6.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron.