Sachin retained, Sehwag dropped for Asia Cup

The Indian selectors have refused to bite the bullet and included Sachin Tendulkar in the squad for next month’s Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh. The axe, however, did fall on Virender Sehwag who has struggled for runs in the CB Series Down Under. In 5 matches, Sehwag has managed to score just 65 runs at an average of just 13. And despite having score 219 – the highest individual score in ODI history – he has always been an enigma in the shorter formats. [caption id=“attachment_229252” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Virender Sehwag has been dropped from the ODI team. AP”] [/caption] But then again, Australia and the sub-continent are different worlds. In the sub-continent, Sehwag can hit through the line and demolish the opposition single-handedly. Officially though, Virender Sehwag has been ‘rested.’ Why can’t the selectors just come out for a change and say a player has been dropped? Sehwag has been fit enough to bowl, take diving catches and bat. But Kris Srikkanth has said that the physiotherapist has asked for Zaheer and Sehwag to be rested. “I am not lying. I have a report from the physio about Sehwag and Zaheer. They have injuries and have been rested,” said Srikkanth. “India has done pretty well in the ODIs against Australia. Overall, things are all okay. We should not be too worried.” Umesh Yadav has also been rested on fitness grounds. While Virat Kohli has been named the vice-captain — a boost for him — one doesn’t know what it means for Gautam Gambhir, who has even captained India in the past. Ajinkya Rahane’s name was discussed as well but the inclusion of Sachin Tendulkar would have probably meant that his chances were ruined. The team is as follows: 1. M S Dhoni (Capt) 2. Virat Kohli (V Capt) 3. Sachin Tendulkar 4. Gautam Gambhir 5. Rohit Sharma 6. Suresh Raina 7. Ravindra Jadeja 8. R Ashwin 9. Praveen Kumar 10. Vinay Kumar 11. Rahul Sharma 12. Yusuf Pathan 13. Manoj Tiwary 14. Irfan Pathan 15. Ashok Dinda