Kolkata: Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh has been axed from India's Test squad for the third and final match against West Indies starting in Mumbai on November 22. Rohit Sharma has been called up to replace Yuvraj following consecutive centuries for Mumbai in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
Yuvraj, 29, tallied just 66 runs in three innings during the first two Tests - which India won handsomely - and fell to West Indies captain Darren Sammy all three times. Following scores of 23 and 18 in Delhi, his scratchy 25 in Kolkata has failed to inspire confidence that he is the No. 6 for the future.
Yuvraj had been recalled to the squad following a three-month break following the broken finger he sustained in England, and at the time had declared his intent resurrect his Test career. However, he now finds himself at the crossroads.
The 35 Tests Yuvraj has featured in have been played over eight years. For a large part of his career, he was kept out of the Test side by a strong middle-order that included Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Ganguly's retirement in 2008 opened up an opportunity for Yuvraj to cement his place in the Test team, but he failed to do so.
During India's tour of Sri Lanka last year he fell ill before the second Test, opening up a place for Suresh Raina to make his debut and he did so with a century. Once again relegated to the sidelines, Yuvraj made his way back into the Test fold after a Man-of-the-Series performance in the 2011 World Cup. However, an injury kept him out of the tour to the West Indies and his series in England was cut short by the finger injury.
Rohit, 24, has played 67 ODIs without holding down a place. A natural stroke-maker heralded by many as the future of Indian batting a few seasons ago, he now has an opportunity to impress the selectors ahead of the tour to Australia. Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane remains in the Test squad, but it remains to be seen if the management puts him in at No. 6, considering he is a top-order batsman in domestic cricket and that he has opened for India in limited-overs cricket.
The rest of the 15-man squad for the third Test is unchanged, with India leading the three-match series 2-0.
India squad: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron
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