NEWS
SCHEDULES
COLUMNS
PREVIOUS TOURS
OTHER SPORTS
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Jaffer, Karthik included in the Indian 12

Wasim Jaffer and Murli Karthik have been picked in the 12 chosen in the Indian team for the Test match against South Africa starting tomorrow in Bombay.

T Kumaran and Mohammed Kaif haven't been included this time. For the final eleven, either Jaffer or Chopra could be dropped. If Jaffer is dropped, wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia could be dropped.

This is the eleventh Test match between the two sides. Of the 10 matches played between the two sides, South Africa had won four and India two. The remaining four were drawn.

India's both wins have come at home in the 1996 series, in Ahmedabad and Kanpur. The visitors won the Calcutta test, match in which Lance Klusener, making his debut, captured eight wickets.

South Africa will be missing Paul Adams, who would have got much help on these tracks. However captain Hansie Cronje is confident that Exsteen could do well, going by his five-wicket haul against the Board President's XI.

The teams:

India: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), V V S Laxman, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia (wk), Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Nikhil Chopra, T Kumaran, Mohd Kaif. Coach: Kapil Dev.

South Africa: Hansie Cronje (captain), Shaun Pollock (vice-captain), Daryll Cullinan, Boeta Dippenaar, Allan Donald, Clive Eksteen, Herchelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Pieter Strydon, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher (wk), Nicky Boje and Mornantau Hayward. Caoch: Graham Ford. Manager: Gulam Raja.

Umpires: S Venkatraghavan (India), David Shepperd (England).

Match referee: Raman Subba Row (England).