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Agarkar, Kambli for triseries

All rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla from Bengal, middle order batsman Amay Khurasia of Madhya Pradesh and all rounder Gyanendra Pandey were included in the 14-member squad for the first two matches of the upcoming triangular ODI series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The selectors have also included left-handed opener Sadagopan Ramesh, who has had a brilliant run in Tests since his debut against Pakistan in Madras earlier this year.

The selectors announced that Sachin Tendulkar, who is getting treatment for his sore back in London, will miss the first two matches. His subsequent inclusion will depend on the medical report Sachin submits at the end of his treatment.

The national selectors also included Bombay batsman Vinod Kambli and all rounder Ajit Agarkar, both of whom were only recently declared fit after missing out through injury. Kambli had a fracture of the ankle, while Agarkar had suffered a stress fracture of his landing foot.

The selectors obviously were looking to have as many members of the 19 shortlisted for the World Cup playing as possible. The shortlist will be pruned to the final 15 on April four in Bangalore, after the tri-series final on April three.

The BCCI has secured permission to submit the final team on April four, the ICC deadline being March 31. The board had sought this permission arguing that it would like to name the team only after the tri-series final.

India will play Sri Lanka on March 22 at Nagpur, and Pakistan on March 24 India will play sri lanka at nagpur on march 22 and pakistan on March 24 at Delhi.

Those who were left out from the shortlisted 19 were (besides Tendulkar) Venkatesh Prasad, Virender Sehwag, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Robin Singh.

Wadekar said that three of these players had been tried and were established, and that the others would be given chances in the latter matches.

Ramesh will most definitely play, with Wadekar mentioning that he would open in place of Tendulkar. Wadekar added however that the captain was of course free to make his own decisions in this regard.

The one player who is likely to be dog tired will be Nayan Mongia -- the only wicket keeper in the 19, he will have to play all the seven one dayers here, and an equal number in Sharjah.

The 14 for the first two games of the triseries: Mohammad Azharuddin (Captain), Saurav Ganguly, Sadagopan Ramesh, Rahul Dravid, Ajit Agarkar, Vinod Kambli, Ajay Jadeja, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Amay Khurasia, Gyanendra Pandey, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Nayan Mongia, Nikhil Chopra.

UNI