BCCI looking ahead by resting Big Three?

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have been left out of the Challenger series in Ahmedabad that begins on October 25. The BCCI says they have been rested; but if the wagging tongues are to be believed, this is a strong signal about their future in One-Day cricket.

Team India arrived in Nagpur for the sixth game against the world champions. But once the series is over for the big three, they can return home and watch the next generation sweat it out at the Challenger Series.

Should too much be read though between the lines; now that they have been left out? No, says the BCCI.

“All of them have been rested for the Challenger Trophy. And as the Pakistan series is coming up, the selectors decided to rest all these players,” says BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah.

But do they really need the rest? After all, the ‘Big Three’ had their feet up throughout the T20 World Cup and have only just returned for the Australia series.

“Where is the break they are getting? They have been playing all the time. It’s a good idea to find new talent,” says India’s former cricket manager Chandu Borde.

The selectors have given the fringe players a chance to shine again. Virender Sehwag will captain India Blue; Mohammad Kaif will lead India Red and Parthiv Patel will lead the Greens, after what has been a stunning domestic season with the bat and gloves.

“The Challenger Trophy is the biggest tournament in Indian domestic cricket. And if I perform well, I will definitely have a great chance to come back into the Indian team,” says Parthiv Patel.
The three teams feature a number of younger players while skipper MS Dhoni, his deputy Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan have been given a rest.

FIFTH ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, VADODARA

India v Australia, starts 0430 BST

Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar will on Thursday become the second player after Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya to feature in 400 one-day internationals.

Tendulkar will open the batting in the fifth of seven ODIs against Australia, with the tourists leading 2-1.

Meanwhile, uncapped batsman Subramaniam Badrinath, 27, comes into the squad to replace the injured Gautam Gambhir.

He hit a double century for India A against South Africa and said of his chance: “It’s a dream come true.”

Badrinath added: “Playing for India has been a childhood dream for me and I am delighted that I am close to achieving that now.”

Gambhir will miss the rest of the series after sitting out Monday’s victory over the world champions.

The toss in Vadodara on Thursday could be absolutely crucial, with no team yet able to post a win when batting second.

Their batsmen had struggled until that triumph in Chandigarh, in which Tendulkar made a battling 79 and Sourav Ganguly weighed in with 41.

Chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar warned last week that senior players’ places would come under threat from the likes of Badrinath unless their form improved.

He said of the Tamil Nadu right-hander: “Players like Badrinath are waiting for their chance and you cannot ignore them.

“It’s a professional set-up and nobody can take their place for granted.”

The squad for the remaining two matches will be decided after Thursday’s encounter.

Meanwhile, Sree Santh, India’s fast bowler, has admitted he taunted Andrew Symonds after the Australian batsman was dismissed on Monday.

Santh told reporters he used the words: “Hard luck, you’re going to lose now” to the Queensland all-rounder, but denied allegations that he had also clapped in his face.

The irony was that the hot-headed Santh had been rested for the encounter, but was in the vicinty of Australia’s batsmen as they walked back to the dressing-room.

India have lost just once in five matches in Vadodara, a city in the dry state of Gujarat, and racked up 341-3 in beating West Indies here in January.

The only other player to reach 400 caps in one-dayers, 38-year-old Jayasuriya, played his 402nd match in Colombo against England on Wednesday.