Cricket: Harbhajan to sit out two ODIs

Uncapped Aravind, Sharma drafted in for matches against England.

NEW DEHLI: India axed spinner Harbhajan Singh and drafted in the uncapped Sreenath Aravind and Rahul Sharma for the first two One-Day Internationals (ODI) against England next month.

Senior players Sachin Tendulkar (toe), Virender Sehwag (shoulder) and Yuvraj Singh (finger) have not recovered from injuries and were left out of the 15-man squad for the matches on Oct 14 and 17. “A number of senior players are not fit and it provides a great opportunity for the youngsters to prove themselves,” said chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

Meanwhile, India’s batting received a boost with opener Gautam Gambhir, who suffered a concussion in England, returning to the side.

Harbhajan struggled in England, managing just two wickets in the first two Tests before an abdominal strain cut short his tour. India and England will play three more ODIs before a one-off Twenty20.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th,  2011.