Dhawal Kulkarni receives maiden call-up

India's selectors have picked their squads for the tour of New Zealand, with Dhawal Kulkarni, the Mumbai seamer, the surprise inclusion in the Test side. It caps an astonishing season for Kulkarni, who made his first-class debut six months ago and ended up the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy. L Balaji makes a return to the Test squad less than two weeks after being recalled to the one-day side.

Harbhajan Singh, who missed the one-day series in Sri Lanka, and Munaf Patel, who had to leave midway with an injury, also return to the squad. Dinesh Karthik has been named reserve keeper for the tour and features in the Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads. He was dropped after a poor Test series in Sri Lanka last year but has fought his way back via a strong domestic season with the bat.

The selection of the quicks for the Tests was always going to be the major issue for the selectors, and Kulkarni's selection was the only surprise. Less than two months ago, Kulkarni was not among the 36 players handed BCCI contracts; RP Singh and Sreesanth were on that list but aren't in the tour party.

Sreesanth was not fit when the contracts were handed out and RP ran into fitness problems later. While Sreesanth played three domestic first-class matches, taking 15 wickets, to prove his fitness, RP's fitness status remains unknown.

There's a clear indication the selectors have gone for bowlers who have turned out long, consistent spells over the last year, and not those whose potential hasn't translated into wickets. On that count, the selection of Balaji and Kulkarni selection - with 78 Ranji wickets between them - doesn't seem surprising.

Kulkarni said the call-up was not entirely unexpected. "Given my Ranji performance, where I was the highest wicket-taker (42 wickets), I did feel I could get picked," Kulkarni told Cricinfo. "Now I am up for whatever role offered to me." He will be valued both for his knowledge of New Zealand conditions - he toured with the India Under-19s in 2007 - as well as their personnel, having played the 'A' side last year.

Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, L Balaji, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dinesh Karthik (wk)

ODI squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Dinesh Karthik (wk)

Twenty20 squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Dinesh Karthik (wk)

source : cricinfo.com

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Pacers' places up for grabs

The selectors meet in Chennai on Friday to pick the squads for the New Zealand tour and, given fitness concerns and the conditions on tour, the bulk of their time should go in picking the pace department for the Tests. Two of the pace-bowling contenders were not fit when India last played international cricket - RP Singh didn't bowl in the second innings of the Ranji Trophy final last month because of a shoulder injury, and Munaf Patel had to leave the Sri Lanka tour midway because of a groin injury - which makes it surprising that the Test squad is being picked a month before that leg of the series.

The other injury concern, Harbhajan Singh, has made himself available and should walk into all three teams, but most questions surround the pace department.

The first question is, four or five? They took four fast bowlers to England in 2007, and five to Australia in 2007-08 (VRV Singh was added after Zaheer Khan's injury, making it six). Only two are automatic selections as of now - Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. The pool for the other places is Munaf, RP, Sreesanth and L Balaji. Munaf, if fit, should be the automatic choice for the third slot, but there is also a school of thought that an out-and-out swing bowler might be given preference.

Sreesanth has proved his fitness through a Ranji Trophy match (seven wickets against Jharkhand), and two in the Duleep Trophy (eight wickets at 37.75). Balaji has made an inspirational comeback to playing cricket in the first place - after his stress fracture and the resultant surgery. His Ranji form took him to Sri Lanka as Munaf's replacement, but in the one game he played there it seemed he was not yet at his best.

source : cricinfo.com

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New Zealand vs India, a brief history

1955-56, New Zealand's first tour to India ended in a 0-2 series defeat. The first Test in Hyderabad was a high-scoring draw that had four centurions. India made 498 for 4 thanks to Polly Umrigar's 223 and centuries to Vijay Manjrekar and debutant Kripal Singh. New Zealand managed 326, Subash Gupte taking seven wickets, and forced to follow-on, they finished 212 for 2. India took a series lead in Bombay, with Vinoo Mankad scoring 223 out of a total of 421 for 8 and Gupte spinner out eight wickets as New Zealand lost by an innings and 27 runs. The third Test was drawn in Delhi, another dull affair with plenty of runs - Bert Sutcliffe continued his form with 230 not out - and only ten wickets. Then the contest moved to Calcutta, where another draw resulted. India were bowled out for 132, New Zealand took a 204-run lead, but then India made 438, leaving the visitors an improbable 235 in just over a session. They finished on 75 for 6. India clinched the series in Madras, with their openers Mankad and Pankay Roy putting on a record 413, after which Gupte and Mankad bowled the home side to an innings victory.

India 2, New Zealand 0, Drawn 3

source : cricinfo.com

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