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Sreesanth named in India A squad

India fast bowler Sreesanth, who was suffering from a side strain, has been included in the A team that will play two three-day matches against Australia A in September

Cricinfo staff
23-Aug-2008

S Badrinath, who made his ODI debut in the second match against Sri Lanka, will lead India A against Australia A © AFP
 
Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has been included in the A team that will play two three-day matches against Australia A in September.
Sreesanth, who was suffering from a side strain, last played for India during the home Test series against South Africa in April. He picked up the injury during the Indian Premier League and has since missed the Kitply Cup, the Asia Cup and the tour of Sri Lanka. He wasn't named in the Champions Trophy squad either, so the games against Australia A will provide an opportunity for him to make a comeback.
S Badrinath, the Tamil Nadu batsman, was named captain of the 15-man squad instead of Mohammad Kaif, who led India A on their last major assignment, against South Africa A in 2007. Badrinath is currently with the Indian ODI squad in Sri Lanka.
The surprise exclusion from the side was that of Delhi opener Aakash Chopra's, who scored 1339 runs at 60.86 in the previous first-class season. He was a member of the India A side that beat South Africa A in an unofficial Test in Delhi last September. The other match was washed out in Dharamsala. Chopra had scored 239 not out in the Delhi match, and followed it up with a prolific Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy season. He was the second-highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, and the leading run-getter in the first-class season overall.
"I am surprised, and disappointed that I am not being rewarded for having scored consistently in the first-class season," Chopra told Cricinfo. "I was really looking forward to playing against a testing opposition that Australia A would surely be."
Robin Uthappa and Piyush Chawla, who were dropped from the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, were included in the 15-member squad. The first match against Australia A will be held in Bangalore from September 3 to 5 and the second game will be held from September 9 to 11 in Hyderabad.
Squad: S Badrinath (capt), Parthiv Patel (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Kaif, Cheteshwar Pujara, Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth, Vinay Kumar, Sudeep Tyagi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohnish Parmar, Sahil Kukreja, Amit Mishra.