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The selectors refrained from making major changes to the team barring the inclusion of paceman Ashok Dinda for an injured Umesh Yadav. Dinda had been called as a cover for Ishant Sharma in the first Test and Yadav in the second Test
though he did not get to play.
The selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil was to announce the team for the remaining two Test matches but did so only for the Kolkata match in a clear perform-or-perish message for some of the under-performing players.
"The teams for the fourth Test and the T20 International series, will be picked later," BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.
India lost the Mumbai Test by 10 wickets inside four days and there was intense speculation a leg-spinner would be drafted into the squad to bring more variety in the spin department.
But the selectors reposed faith on the spin trio of R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh despite their failure to exploit the pitch in Mumbai which was tailormade to suit India's demands.
Harbhajan retained his place in the squad despite picking up two wickets in the Mumbai Test where he bowled just 23 overs unlike Ashwin and Ojha who sent down nearly 45 overs each.
Also retained was senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who has been going through a prolonged form slump, his last 10 innings yielding just 153 runs at an average of 15.3, the lowest by an Indian top-order batsman in the corresponding period.
In the current series he has scored merely 13, 8 and 8 and has looked clearly out of sorts.
Opener Gautam Gambhir, who has also been out of form, did well in the second innings of the Mumbai match to hang on to his spot in the side.
The third Test will be played at Eden Gardens, which has been the venue of some of India's historic triumph, while Nagpur will stage the fourth and final Test from December 13 to 17.
The two Twenty20 Internationals after the Test series will be played in Pune and Mumbai on December 20 and 22 respectively.
The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Zaheer Khan.
If a consistently non performing player like Tendulkar is dropped BalThackrey"s ghost will disturb the selectors and board officials.
Under perform player includes DHONI also.......
Like the lackadaisical Indian cricket team,the selectors are also incompetent to take bold decisions.They(selectors) are still banking on the most undependable and irresponsible top order experienced batsmen at the cost of depriving a well deserved place for an young aspirant.The selectors also need to be made fully accountable and changed for wrong choices.So the enthusiastic crowd at the Eden Gardens will again have to see a bunch of non performers thriving on the tax payers money without any accountability.They have taken us all for granted.
I wonder what is going in Sachin's mind. I think he wants to score a hundred before retiring. He wants to make a glorified exit, why does he want to sacrifice team for him. Must India lose again and again because of a Tendulkar. Yes, he is a great player, with a very few equals, but what has a beginning has an end too. It is better if Sachin realizes that. Instead of being told to quit, he should take the call himself. A 20 match-winning centuries in tests and 33 match-winning hundreds in one dayers is an incredible achievement, but time has come to draw a curtain, and time is now. When Pujara competed the double hundred Sachin was out of dressing room, clapping, but look on his face was of zealousy. This is not good. If Sachin refuses to take the call or contributes, selectors will be forced to dump him. Right now he has been given a long rope, let him decide.
What else do you expect from Selectors when BCCI makes / treats them as bunch of jokers. Either their hands are tied or mouth is stuffed with moolah. Agree, Sachin can't be told when to retire, but at-least Selectors have the responsibility to select a team for the present and future... If past is the criteria, why can't you bring Dravid & Kumble back ? or for that matter Sunny, Vishy, Chandra, Bedi & Venkat..... One pakistain ex cricketer said there is no politics in Indian Cricket. Might be he is also on BCCI payrollto make such statement!
We need to bring a leg-spinner or at least draft in Manoj Tiwary in place of Yuvraj.
I would say Indian batting is the reason for the defeat in 2nd test. Especially Dhoni. Can any one say avarage of Dhoni in last 10 or 20 innings? I think media is not in neutral state as they critisized shewag, Gamburs form they are not ready to talk about Dhonis form especially in test cricket? Can we have different keeper for tests?????????
Amit Mishra should have been replaced Harbhajan Singh.
So, Team India is going into the third test with only 10 players (and a non-playing Sachin). This situation is common in Soccer, when one gets a red card and the team has to play with the reamining folks. Yes, this way, Indian cricket is going global!
It is strange that the board persists with non-performers like Tendulkar, Dhoni and Harbhajan. Time to blood youngsters from Ranji Trophy in their place. Seems that the Board is guided by the sposors of these players. To hell with the respect due to those who wear the India cap.
