India prefer Jadeja to Harbhajan for S.Africa tests

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been recalled to India’s squad in place of spinner Harbhajan Singh for next month’s first two tests against South Africa, the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) said on Monday.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, 26, dropped for the recent series in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has been in prime domestic form, picking up 24 wickets in two matches in first-class cricket.

The left-handed batsman has also scored 91 and 58 in two innings.

The 35-year-old Harbhajan, who has played 103 tests, bagged four wickets in the two matches he played in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The selectors included off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who suffered a side strain in the first one-day international against South Africa in Kanpur earlier this month, in the test squad.

Ashwin, the leader of the spin attack, was, however, not picked for the last two one-dayers. India trail 2-1 in that series.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named in the test squad even though he is ineligible for the first match after being suspended for misconduct againt Sri Lanka.

Sreenath Aravind has been drafted into the squad for the last two ODIs, replacing fast bowler Umesh Yadav who proved expensive during the first two matches and was dropped for Sunday’s third game in Rajkot.

The final two ODIs will be played on Thursday and Sunday before the first test of a four-match encounter begins on Nov. 5 in Mohali.

Test squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma

ODI squad for last two matches: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind, Gurkeerat Singh, Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly,; Editing by Tony Jimenez)