NEW DELHI - India picked Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday for the tri-series in Australia, ending the star batsman's self-imposed exile from one-day cricket outside the World Cup. Tendulkar, the world's leading one-day batsman who is chasing his 100th international century, was included in a 17-man squad for the tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka, to be played from February 5 to March 8.
The same squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will also feature in two Twenty20 internationals against hosts Australia in Sydney on February 1 and in Melbourne on February 3. His inclusion means Tendulkar will have further opportunities to record a 100th ton if he is unable to achieve the landmark in the final Test against Australia in Adelaide later this month.
The Indian cricket board announced the squad on the day Dhoni's men were thrashed by an innings and 37 runs in the Perth Test to give Australia a decisive 3-0 lead in the four-match series. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma, currently playing in the Test series, has been rested as seamers Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan join the new-ball attack for the one-dayers. Veteran batsmen Rahul Dravid and Venkatsai Laxman, who do not play one-day cricket any more, will return home after the final Test.
SQUAD:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel.