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Indian team for first Test to be chosen on Wednesday

The Indian squad for the first Test against New Zealand beginning at Mohali from October 10 will be named in Bombay on Wednesday, October 6, and the selection committee will have an "open mind", its new chairman Chandu Borde said today.

Talking to newsmen during the Irani Trophy match between Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka and the Rest of India, he said the squad would be picked up for only for the first Test. After evaluating the performances in the first Kiwi encounter, the selectors will select the team for the other matches, he added.

The New Zealand team will play three Tests and five day one-day internationals.

When pointed out that the committee had little time to witness the players in action and pick the team, he said he would rely on the opinion of the other selectors. "Three -- Ashok Malhotra (East), Madanlal (North) and Anil Deshpande (Central) -- of them had been watching the boys for the last few years. My cards are absolutely on the table. We will have an open mind," he added.

Borde said the committee would also have an open mind on those rested and discarded from the team. On former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who has submitted his fitness certificate to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, he reiterated that the selectors would have an open mind.

He stressed that the committee would value the suggestions of coach Kapil Dev and captain Sachin Tendulkar. The emphasis would be on respecting each other's views, he added.

Borde, who was chairman of the selection committee between 1984 and 1986, recalled they had then persisted with Mohinder Amarnath during one of his comebacks and he went on to play beautifully.

On Ajay Jadeja's inclusion in the Test team, he said the performance and the player's contribution would be the sole criterion for picking the team. He said the selectors from different zones would watch the performances of players in other zones. This would be a departure from the usual practice of selectors watching the performance of players only in their respective zones.

Asked if the Indian players were facing injury problems because of excess cricket, he said statistics show that India was at the bottom in number of international matches played. South Africa topped the list, followed by Australia and Sri Lanka. However, he felt the players should restrict themselves from playing in masala matches. "Playing for the country's honour was more important," he stressed.

UNI