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Mumbai: In-form Suresh Raina have been ommited of India's squad for the first two Tests against Australia.
Harbhajan Singh has made a comeback into the Indian team for first two Tests of the Australia series, while opener Gautam Gambhir has been dropped.
The left-handed Delhi batsman's ninth and last Test century came against Bangladesh in Chittagong one year further back, and the worrying fact for the selectors was his steep decline in the limited overs formats of the game too.
Harbhajan, on the other hand, has shown glimpses of his old wicket-taking. He took four wickets in the second innings while playing for Punjab against Saurashtra in the Ranji semis, and in the Irani Cup he looked good while taking three scalps in Mumbai's first innings. Most importantly, he has a good track record against the Aussies.
Also, despite the poor form that he has been in, opener Virender Sehwag was included in the squad.
While Sehwag, who has a phenomenal Test record, scored a century in the opening Test against England, Gambhir's highest score in the last 16 Tests he has figured in is a 93 at Cape Town against South Africa 25 months ago.
Ravindra Jadeja has also been retained in the squad with the selectors overlooking Suresh Raina. Raina lost his place after an indifferent show in the two-match rubber that India swept against New Zealand at the beginning of this season.
Meanwhile Shikhar Dhawan has earned his maiden Test cap and will be all set to replace Gambhir at the opener's slot. Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was also picked for the first two Tests in the 15-member Indian team.
The challenge before Indian cricket board (BCCI) selection committee headed by Sandeep Patil was to put together a winning team combination after three comprehensive series defeats against top opponents.
The successive whitewashes against England and Australia in away tours were somewhat offset by series wins at home over a lower-ranked West Indies and New Zealand.
However, the 1-2 reversal against England in their last rubber at home has caused concern about some senior players. The team will undergo a preparatory camp at the NCA, Bengaluru, from 15 February 2013 to 18 February 2013.
India Test squad for first two Test:
