Dhoni given rest; Yuvraj dropped; Sachin, Harbhajan return

Mumbai, July 8 (UNI) ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was today left out of India's three Test-tour to Sri Lanka after he asked the cricket board to leave him out, while his deputy Yuvraj Singh was dropped even as fit again Sachin Tendulkar and controversial spinner Harbhajan Singh came back into the Indian team.

The national selectors under the chairmanship of Dilip Vengsarkar met here today to select a 16-member squad for the three Test series beginning later in the month in Sri Lanka.

Breaking into the Indian Test team for the first time was spinner Pragyan Ojha, while Zaheer Khan, who has recovered from his injury, was also included in the team which was read out by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah here today.

Opener Wasim Jaffer has lost his place in the squad to prolific Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir who will open with statemate Virender Sehwag, who has also been named as the vice captain in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The selectors have chosen Dinesh Karthick and Parthiv Patel as the two keepers with Parthiv likely to double up as the third opener also.

The senior brigade consisting of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman along with captain Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar have all kept their Test places along with young Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma who has broken into the Test side for the first time.

Among the pacers, Irfan Pathan has been dropped from the side, while Munaf Patel makes a comeback into the team once again.

The team: Anil Kumble (c), Virendra Sehwag (v-c), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthick, Parthiv Patel, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, R P Singh, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha.

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