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Zaheer game for African safari; Gambhir left in the cold again

However, two other seniors and Zaheer’s long-time associates, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh, didn’t find any favour with the national selectors who also gave a cold shoulder to Delhi boy Gautam Gambhir.

Apart from Zaheer, Ambati Rayudu is the lone new face in the 17-member squad, one more than the team which played the just-concluded series against the West Indies at home. The team for the three-match ODI series preceding the Tests too doesn’t have much surprises except the somewhat shocking selection of the under fire Ishant Sharma who has also been retained in the Test squad. Yuvraj Singh has managed to hold on to his ODI spot despite having a prolonged poor run.

Though few expected Sehwag or Harbhajan, both axed form the BCCI central contract list issued last week, to get a call in the high-profile overseas series, the exclusion of Gautam Gambhir from the Test team will rightfully raise quite a few eyebrows. Like Zaheer, Gambhir too last played for India in the longer format in December 2012, the drawn final Test of the four-match series which England won 2-1.
Had performing regularly at the domestic level been the main criteria to earn one’s place back into the side, Gambhir’s claim looked pretty solid.

Playing for India A, Gambhir struck a compact 123 against the touring West Indies A in a four-day match in Hubli, Karnataka, last October.

In the four Ranji Trophy matches Delhi played this season so far, Gambhir’s run chart (in that order) reads 31, 44, 64, 51*, 29, 153.

Moreover, the timing of Gambhir’s cracking ton against Haryana under trying conditions on Sunday couldn’t have been better either. Most teams, including India, normally embark on a foreign tour with a back-up third opener. But the selectors, despite opting for an additional 17th player, doesn’t seem to care much about the opening slot and instead went for Wriddhiman Saha as Dhoni’s back-up.

The selection of Zaheer comes more-or-less on expected ground as the pitches in South Africa, by all probability, will be green, bouncy and the conditions favourable to seamers. Though the team comprises in-form Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma, on a big tour such as this one, a vastly-experienced Zaheer is still an asset.

The exclusions of Sehwag and Harbhajan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of road for two outstanding contributors to Indian cricket.

But given their age and poor form at the domestic level, coupled by the emergence of many exciting new talents, these two wonderful cricketers might end up bidding a silent goodbye.

Test squad: MS Dhoni (c), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Wriddhiman Saha, Zaheer Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha
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