Tendulkar included in squad for Sri Lanka

Injured batsman Sachin Tendulkar was named in the Indian squad on Thursday for a test series in Sri Lanka starting later in August.

Tendulkar is recovering from a hairline fracture in his right foot and his availability for the series will be known on August 10 after he undergoes a bone scan.

He suffered the injury during the final phase of India's tour of Zimbabwe which ended early last month, ruling him out of the current one-day triangular tournament in Sri Lanka.

Middle-order batsman Jacob Martin will come in if Tendulkar fails to regain his fitness, Jaywant Lele, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told a news conference after announcing the squad.

India will be without top batsman Vangipurappu Laxman and left-arm bowler Ashish Nehra because of injuries, but Nehra's new ball partner Zaheer Khan has been retained despite shin trouble.

Laxman will undergo surgery for a ligament tear on his right knee immediately after the ongoing Sri Lanka tournament, which also involves New Zealand. The event ends on Sunday.

"He has to undergo an operation. It will need six weeks rest," Lele said, adding that the tear was minor and the batsman would be treated in Bombay.

Nehra, 22, has been advised to rest for two months because of a groin injury. He has performed consistently since being recalled for the recent Zimbabwe test tour having played his only previous test two years ago.

Khan, who is playing in the Sri Lankan one-dayers, will undergo an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan after the tournament on his shin.

"I spoke to him. He is okay. He is expected to take an MRI. If it is really a problem, we will name someone later," Lele said.

PRASAD RECALL
In Nehra's absence, the selectors recalled Venkatesh Prasad into the pace attack which will be headed by Javagal Srinath.

Prasad, 31, has played 30 tests but failed to impress in his last outing -- the second of the three-match home series against Australia in March.

But Lele said: "The team management thought about the wickets (in Sri Lanka) and he (Prasad) seemed to be conducive. He will be useful."

Ajit Agarkar, who played in the second Zimbabwe test which the hosts won, has been dropped. He was chosen for the one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, but has not played so far.

The selectors also included young middle-order batsmen Mohammad Kaif and left-hander Dinesh Mongia.

Kaif, 20, is a talented batsman who played his only test in last year's home series against South Africa while Mongia has appeared in one-day games.

Left-handed opener Sadagopan Ramesh returns after recovering from the back trouble which sidelined him for the second Harare test.

The 16-man squad will play three tests in Galle (August 14-18), Kandy (August 22-26) and Colombo (August 29-September 2).

India squad:
Saurav Ganguly (captain),
Shiv Sundar Das,
Sadagopan Ramesh,
Rahul Dravid,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Hemang Badani,
Mohammad Kaif,
Dinesh Mongia,
Sameer Dighe (wicketkeeper),
Javagal Srinath,
Harvinder Singh,
Zaheer Khan,
Venkatesh Prasad,
Harbhajan Singh,
Rahul Sanghvi,
Sairaj Bahutule.

Mail Cricket Editor