Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s economical bowling in the ongoing one-day series against Pakistan is all set to pave way for his comeback into the Test squad. In the three matches so far, the Punjab bowler has been the most miserly of the Indian lot and has picked up four wickets. That seems to have caught the selectors’ eyes.Harbhajan, if he finds his way back, will be returning to the Indian Test team after he was dropped following the tour of South Africa last year, where he was not included in the playing eleven in all the Tests.The national selection committee’s meeting in Mohali, to pick the new India Test captain, may remain unprecedented given the surprise package that it turned out to be. However, the announcement of the Test team for the three-match series against Pakistan on November 14 is likely to be less theatrical and uncomplicated.The fact that India won a Test series in England after 21 years and was riding high on impressive performances in Tests against the West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh prior to it is enough reason to go back to the tried and tested.A senior national selector said: “Why should there be a change in a team that’s just gone and won a Test series in England after 21 years? They have performed really well and that’s all I can say at the moment.”Other than Harbhajan, who heads the list of the probable comeback men, the selectors will get busy mulling over Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel, who have been impressive in the one-dayers and the Irani Trophy respectively. Pathan, the Man of the Match in India’s Twenty20 final victory over Pakistan, remains another firm favourite, given his performances and the crucial breakthroughs he got. Test skipper Anil Kumble could be looking to take advantage of his batting too.The selectors will also have to consider Munaf and his five-wicket burst against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the Irani Trophy last month, a performance that found the speedster gathering praise from several quarters.The selectors have to make sure that they do not end with an attack of just left-arm medium-pacers in Tests as has been the case in the one-dayers. Therefore, it is likely that either retaining Sreesanth or recalling Munaf to the squad might be on top of the selectors’ minds.Also, unlike the 16-member squad that was named for the England series, the selection committee will have to pick only 15 for the home matches against Pakistan. In such a situation, it is highly likely that Gautam Gambhir, despite his impressive performances in the Twenty20 and one-day matches, could sit out.Meanwhile, Bengal medium-pacer Ranadeb Bose and Mumbai off-spinner Ramesh Powar are out of the radar while former captain Rahul Dravid and Tamil Nadu’s Dinesh Kaarthick, who are currently missing from the one-day team, will be retained.
