Mithun, Saha named in India's squad for first Test
With several key players on the injury list, India on January 28 infused fresh blood into its Test squad by naming Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun and Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha for the first Test against South Africa beginning in Nagpur on February 6.
As Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh were ruled out of the series because of injuries, the selectors recalled Tamil Nadu middle-order batsman S Badrinath in the team and dropped wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik.
While 20-year-old Mithun was rewarded for his splendid show in the domestic circuit by emerging as the highest wicket taker in the Ranji Trophy season, the inclusion of Saha came as a surprise.
Dravid, who sustained a face injury in the second Test against Bangladesh, has been advised rest for three weeks while Yuvraj has also been ruled out of the Test series because of an injury to his left wrist.
Stylish batsman VVS Laxman, who had also suffered a finger injury during the Test series against Bangladesh, has recovered sufficiently to be drafted into the squad. Uttar Pradesh paceman Sudeep Tyagi and Tamil Nadu batsman Murali Vijay, who toured Bangladesh, retained their spot in the squad.
Team for the First Test: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Wriddhiman Saha.
