The selectors don't surprise you any more

The Indian selectors never fail to spring a surprise, though by now nothing they do should surprise anyone. Sure, they always manage to pick 12 or 13 players whose credentials are unimpeachable, though the cynics would say they pick themselves. It's in filling the remaining slots that the panel invariably succeeds in delivering an unsuspecting public the knockout punch.

I refer to the inclusion of Sairaj Bahutule and Dinesh Mongia in the squad for the forthcoming Test series in Sri Lanka. Now we know that when they dropped the left hand batsman at the end of the Zimbabwe tour, they only found him unfit for one-day cricket. He replaces another lefthander, the promising Yuvraj Singh, who has just found the right balance in his approach to batting at international level. With the final of the Coca Cola tri-series only a couple of days away, he has been told that he is a one-day player, much like Hemang Badani was, not long ago.

But the ultimate concession to the decades-old quota system must be the reinstatement of Sairaj Bahutule, who went to Zimbabwe, saw, and did not play - except for a side-game or two. Do the selectors seriously see a role for the Mumbai leg spinner in the Tests ahead in Sri Lanka? I mean no disrespect to the gutsy Mumbai player, but it is difficult to believe he is a leg spinner of international class, with the potential to trouble subcontinental batsmen.

When Debasish Mohanty and Ajit Agarkar were sidelined, thanks no doubt to splendid bowling by the leftarmers in the side, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, I assumed they would be retained for the Test series, especially in view of the injuries to the other bowlers. Now we are told that Agarkar has not been bowling well of late. The selectors must be referring to his display in the nets. They do not see any need to explain Mohanty's omission without a trial, maybe because his selection or exclusion are routine procedures that need no justification. Venkatesh Prasad's inclusion would have raised an eyebrow or two, but for his record of making useful comebacks, though most of these have been in the shorter game. The Karnataka seam bowler does not have a great record against Sri Lanka. He and Srinath will bring experience to an attack depleted by injuries to key bowlers.

Mohammad Kaif's recall is to be welcomed as he is one of the more talented batsmen on the horizon. What is not so welcome is the suggestion that he may play the role of third opener, ostensibly because he has volunteered to do so.

One player who seems to have cemented his place in the squad, and in fact, in the playing eleven, is Samir Dighe. Here is another brave player in the Mumbai mould, who has played some vital knocks for India when all seemed lost, but I find it amazing that India does not have a better wicket keeper available. Dighe does produce a smart catch or stumping every now and then, but he has been inconsistent, tending to make mistakes at crucial junctures.

All in all, there is nothing surprising about the team announced, as it has its usual quota of surprises.