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New Delhi: All top stars are expected to be back in the team when the selection committee - headed by Krish Srikkanth - picks the Test squad on Saturday for the high-profile tour of England.
With Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh set to join the team, the likes of Virat Kohli, Abhinav Mukund and S Badrinath are likely to miss out. Virender Sehwag, who had to undergo a shoulder surgery, still needs a few weeks of rehabilitation but is likely to be included in the squad. But it's not clear whether he can play in the first Test at the Lord's starting July 21.
In the pace department, both Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth are expected to be back while Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel are set to be retained.
The main point of contention will be the selection of an extra opener in view of Sehwag's fitness status. Sources say that Sehwag has been improving fast but is finding it a bit difficult to throw the ball. He is expected to regain full fitness by the time the second Test begins on July 29.
But the team management wants the dashing opener to be with the squad right from the beginning of the tour so that he gets a feel of the conditions. If he is forced to miss the first Test, then there is a possibility that Parthiv Patel, who will be the second wicketkeeper, will be asked to double up as opener.
The selectors would have liked to go in with three specialist openers, but with five seamers, two wicketkeepers, two spinners and an extra middle-order back-up, there's unlikely to be room for the third opener.
