By IANS
Perth : After a long hiatus, Virender Sehwag is set to be recalled to the Indian Test side for the third Test against Australia starting here Wednesday, indicated captain Anil Kumble here Tuesday.
“More or less, we have finalised the team. But we have to take a final look at the pitch. In all probability Sehwag will come in, and we are also considering the option of bringing in a third seamer,” Kumble, who is just one short of 600 Tests wickets, told reporters.
Sehwag, who enhanced his case by hitting a whirlwind century against an Australian Capital Territory XI in Canberra last week, has a strong record against Australia and this aspect could have prompted the team management to pick him to bolster the batting.
Sehwag, who initially was not even among the probables for the tour, has smashed two centuries, including a superb 195 in Melbourne in 2003-04, and three half-centuries for a total of 846 runs at 49.76 in nine Tests against the Aussies.
The ‘Delhi Dasher’ last played a Test in South Africa more than a year ago, missing nine Tests and many One-Day Internationals in between.
Kumble also said that batting stalwart Rahul Dravid, who unsuccessfully opened the batting in the first two Tests that India lost, would revert to his most successful No. 3 spot.
“We will stick to the regular batting order. We have the quality of Rahul at three. It will shift the batting order a bit but that is the order that we have been playing for quiet some time. It is important for us to come back into the game and play some good cricket to get a good result,” he said.
In the first two Tests, both of which India lost to trail the four-Test series 0-2, Dravid had opened with Wasim Jaffer, who too has been struggling to score runs on this tour. Jaffer is expected to open with Sehwag here.
Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian who has batted with success in Melbourne and Sydney.
“Sachin’s experience is always benefit for the batsmen, but there are batsmen in the side who have played more that 80 Test matches,” pointed out Kumble.
On Australia’s decision to have a four-pronged pace attack on a pitch that has traditionally assisted pacers, Kumble said that the Indians have the capability to tackle them.
“We have handled the bowlers pretty well in Sydney but the pitch might be a bit different here. But we have quality batsmen to handle that and it is important for us to get runs on board, and I am confident that we will be able to do that,” said the ace leg-spinner.
Australia have included speedster Shaun Tait in the XI in place of left-arm spinner Brad Hogg and he will join Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark to form the quartet at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground.
Australia also replaced injured opener Matthew Hayden with left-handed opening batsman Chris Rogers, who will make his debut here.
“His [Hayden’s] replacement Chris Rogers is a capable batsmen and in that sense we don’t have to encounter Hayden early on in the innings and it is definitely a good sign for us,” said Kumble.
The captain also said that Sourav Ganguly, who was running temperature, was okay. “Sourav is fine. He came here for practice,” he said.
On new India coach Gary Kirsten of South Africa, Kumble said: “He definitely brings in a new perspective, During his playing days, he was a great opening batsman and he has played here before and his experience will really count.”