Out-of-favour batsman Virender Sehwag is expected to return for the four-match series against Sri Lanka, commencing on February 8, when the national selectors meet in Mumbai on Saturday to choose the squad for the first two ties.
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The Delhi batsman was not considered for the entire four-match rubber against the West Indies won by India 3-1. But with the World Cup squad to be chosen on February 12, the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka would be the last few chances he would get to impress the selectors and gain a berth for the mega event in the West Indies.
Sehwag was not among the runs in both forms of the game on the dismal tour of South Africa, which ended with India losing the one-day series 0-4 and the Test rubber 1-2 to the hosts and selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar said he needed to go back to the nets and sort out his problems.
With another out-of-form player Irfan Pathan having been recalled for the last match against the West Indies in his hometown Baroda, logic dictates that Sehwag a proven performer at the international level too should be given a chance to press his claims for a berth in the World Cup team, according to selection committee sources.
Sehwag cracked a century for Delhi against Haryana in the former's last league tie after the team's return from South Africa. Whether he's selected as a middle order batsman or opener for the matches remains to be seen.
Another player who's likely to get a call-up if he's declared fully fit by BCCI physician Dr Anant Joshi, is speedster Munaf Patel. Patel broke down with an ankle injury at the start of the South Africa tour and was virtually a spectator till he was passed fit for the final Test at Cape Town where he bowled below-par and looked far from fit.
Joshi had subsequently examined the lanky bowler and declared that there was no pathological evidence that his injury had not healed and he was not going flat out as before because of psychological reasons, afraid that the injury would recur.
He advised him six weeks rest on the team's return from South Africa and Patel played his first match on Thursday, a local game, in Baroda and was to meet Joshi on Friday.
With Shantakumaran Sreesanth struggling in the one-day format, as seen in the series against the West Indies, Patel's return would be eagerly awaited by the selectors and the team management.
India captain Rahul Dravid had indicated in Baroda that there are only 17 or 18 claimants for the fifteen berths on offer.
"We have come close to choosing the squad of 15 from 17 or 18 players. We are pretty close to where we want to be. We want players who can adapt to different conditions and wickets and we are getting these kinds of players," he said in Baroda after clinching the series 3-1 against the Windies.
Another interesting selection would be that of Mumbai off-spinner Ramesh Powar, who iss still in the running for a berth and according to Dravid was fighting for a spot with one of the medium pacers and not either of the two experienced spinners -- Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, who have virtually selected themselves for the World Cup.
With Robin Uthappa having edged out Gautam Gambhir in the selection stakes, the Delhi left-hander may not get another chance against the Lankans.
One of the selectors, South Zone representative Venkapathy Raju, is unlikely to attend the meeting as he lost his father yesterday, a BCCI source said.
