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Kaif replaces Dravid in squad
Harish Kotian in Ahmedabad |
December 18, 2005 10:47 IST
Last Updated: December 19, 2005 11:04 IST
India won the toss and elected to bat in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka [Images] at the Sardar Patel stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
India opted for one change in their line-up, with Mohammad Kaif replacing the indisposed Rahul Dravid [Images].
Regular captain Dravid was hospitalised on Friday night with gastroenteritis and was ruled out on Saturday after failing to recover. He is still in a local hospital and could be there for another day.
Anil Kumble [Images] becomes the fifth Indian to appear in 100 Test matches, after Sunil Gavaskar [Images], Kapil Dev [Images], Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar [Images].
Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer [Images], who was recalled to the squad in place of Sourav Ganguly [Images], has been named 12th man.
Sri Lanka were dealt a heavy blow in their bid to level the series, after the pace bowling duo of Chaminda Vaas [Images] and Dilhara Fernando were ruled out. The two bowlers have not yet recovered from the viral fever.
Their place in the team will be taken by Fervez Maharoof and Lasith Malinga [Images], while Upul Tharanga replaces Avishka Gunawardene.
India won the second Test in Delhi by a huge margin of 188 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Sri Lanka have never won a Test match in India.
Teams:
India: V Sehwag (captain), S Tendulkar, V V S Laxman [Images], Yuvraj Singh [Images], M S Dhoni [Images] (w/k), Harbhajan Singh [Images], A Kumble, I Pathan, A Agarkar, G Gambhir, M Kaif.
Sri Lanka: M Atapattu (captain), M Jayawardene, K Sangakkara (w/k), T Dilshan, T Samaraweera, J Mubarak U Tharanga, M Muralitharan, M Bandara, L Malinga, F Maharoof.