Sehwag might get last chance against Lanka before World Cup

Mumbai, Feb 2 (UNI) The issue of whether to give out-of-form batsman Virender Sehwag a chance or not will be the main question before the selectors, who will meet here tomorrow under the chairmanship of Dilip Vengsarkar, to select the India squad for the first two one-day matches against Sri Lanka.

With the World Cup team to be selected on February 12, the selectors have only the first two matches of the Sri Lankan series to decide to try out different players to get the best squad for the World Cup in place.

The first two one-dayers would be played at Kolkata and Rajkot on February 8 and February 11 respectively.

Sehwag was not considered for the entire four-match rubber against the West Indies, which India won 3-1. But with the World Cup squad to be chosen on February 12, the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka would be the last few chances he would get to impress the selectors and gain a berth for the mega event in the West Indies.

Sehwag was not among the runs in both forms of the game on the dismal tour of South Africa, which ended with India losing the one-day series 0-4 and the Test rubber 1-2 to the hosts and selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar said he needed to go back to the nets and sort out his problems.

The selectors have already given another out-of-form player Irfan Pathan a chance, having recalled him for the last match against the West Indies in his hometown Baroda.

Sehwag, a proven performer at the international level, too might get a chance to press his claims for a berth in the World Cup team.

Another player, who is likely to get a call-up if he's declared fully fit by BCCI physician Dr Anant Joshi, is speedster Munaf Patel. Patel broke down with an ankle injury at the start of the South Africa tour and was virtually a spectator till he was passed fit for the final Test at Cape Town where he bowled below-par and looked far from fit.

Joshi had subsequently examined the lanky bowler and advised him six weeks rest on the team's return from South Africa. Patel has already played his first match yesterday, a local game, in Baroda and was to meet Joshi today.

Another interesting case would be that of Mumbai off-spinner Ramesh Powar, who is still in the running for a berth and according to Dravid was fighting for a spot with one of the medium pacers and not either of the two experienced spinners -- Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, who have virtually selected themselves for the World Cup.

With Robin Uthappa having edged out Gautam Gambhir in the selection stakes, the Delhi left-hander may not get another chance against the Lankans.

UNI