By IANS
Bangalore : Opening batsman Virender Sehwag Wednesday was recalled to the Indian team for the four-Test series in Australia.
Sehwag, who was not even in the list of 24 probables, benefited from the fact that another opener Gautam Gambhir has been advised three weeks rest with a sore shoulder.
The selectors also included young rookie Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh, ahead of Munaf Patel, who has been asked to play more domestic cricket to attain more consistency, while Delhi boy Ishant Sharma earned his ticket with his five-wicket haul against Pakistan.
Second wicketkeeper and third opener Dinesh Karthik, after halting his poor run of scores with a fifty in the second innings of the third and final Test, managed to retain his place in the squad.
With Sreesanth not fit, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh will spearhead the pace attack.
Left out from the squad was left-arm spinner, Murali Kartik, as Harbhajan Singh joined skipper Anil Kumble as the second spinner.
The Indian team will leave from Mumbai, Dec 17 for Australia.
The squad: Anil Kumble (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vice-captain/wicketkeeper), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and Pankaj Singh.