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Laxman dropped, injury sidelines Kumble
VVS Laxman was on Monday dropped and leggie Anil Kumble was kept out due to injury from the Indian team for the first two one-dayers.
Stylish batsman VVS Laxman was on Monday dropped and veteran leggie Anil Kumble was kept out due to injury from the Indian team for the first two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan beginning on April 2.
While Laxman was shown the door after a string of umimpressive performances in Test and ODIs, Kumble had to be exclued following a knee injury sustained during the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan in Bangalore.
India are to play six one-dayers against Pakistan with the first match scheduled to be held in Kochi.
The second tie is at Visakhapatnam on April 5.
"Kumble was not considered for selection due to a minor injury in the knee," Indian cricket board joint secretary Gautam Dasgupta said while announcing the team.
Dasgupta also said Laxman's name was discussed in the meeting but his was not included.
Lakshmipathy Balaji's return in place of Haryana's Joginder Sharma who made is debut in Bangladesh was the only other change.
Wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik and opener Gautam Gambhir, who were part of the Test squad, would make way for one day specialists Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Mongia.
Team: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Lakshmipathy Balaji, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik.
