KOLKATA, India (Reu-ters) – Yuvraj Singh’s test career stuttered again yesterday when the left-hander, a regular match-winner in one-day cricket, was dropped from the Indian team for the third and final test against West Indies.
The 24-year-old right-hander Rohit Sharma will replace Yuvraj in the Mumbai test starting on Nov. 22, Indian cricket board (BCCI) secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.
India clinched the three-test series by winning in Delhi and Kolkata.
Yuvraj, who turns 30 next month, wasted the chances he got in the series with innings of 23, 18 and 25 against West Indies.
One of the cleanest strikers of the ball and an agile fielder whose left-arm spin is more than handy in the 50 and 20-over formats, Yuvraj has struggled to cement his place in the test side in more than a decade of international cricket.
Instrumental in India’s 20 and 50-over World Cup victories in 2007 and 2011, Yuvraj has played 37 tests but never been an automatic choice in five-day cricket.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sympathised with the left-hander before the team for the third test was announced.
“Yes, he is going through a tough phase but it’s important to show confidence in him,” Dhoni said after India beat West Indies by an innings and 15 runs in the second test at Eden Gardens.
“We all know he is talented. He has played really well against all the big bowlers, especially in the ODI format which means he has talent to do well in test formats as well.
“One more reason is that he has been in and out of the side. It’s very difficult to back yourself.
You have that bit of tentativeness. It’s a bit tough on him. But hopefully he will recover and do well for India,” Dhoni added.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron.
