In the wicketkeeper area, Parthiv Patel was in the top 3 run scorers in the domestic season, behind Pandey and Rahane. He also played 2 games less, so if we're talking runs per game, I'm fairly sure he has the best ratio.
KKD is not that bad though.
How the hell Badrinath fails to make a mark everytime hes been watched? C'mon,you bat well all season and fail to impress the selectors when they're actually watching you closely.And this isnt the first time hes doing this.IINR he did the same in the BP's XI game against Australia when Ganguly's place in the team was in scrutiny.I still hope this game doesnt make much impact in the selection priorities.
I'd be very disappointed if Badri doesn't get a shot this series. Especially if Kaif gets the shot instead. Kaif has not been as consistent as many other batsmen in the last few domestic seasons and his current form while good, is not enough to warrant a place in the team imo. Rather go with Kohli/Pandey/Pujara/Rahane.
Well Srikanth proved me wrong!
Badrinath, Mithun and Wriddhiman Saha are the new inclusions
S Badrinath and Mithun in India squad for first Test against SA | Cricket News | India v South Africa 2009/10 | Cricinfo.com
Good news in selecting Mithun immediately after his impressive season in the Ranji trophy. Pandey deserved it, but he comes from a country that has so many batting riches and so he has to wait. Saha is a surprise inclusion, but the correct one since Dinesh Karthik has never grabbed his chances properly and Saha deserves a chance.
But with Laxman being announced in the squad (and the squad picked only for the first test), I am guessing that he will play. Will this mean they play Murali Vijay as the other middle order batsman and continue to keep Badri on the sidelines?
Badri to fill in for UV and Vijay for Dravid. I think both will fit into the lineup unless we decide to play 5 bowlers. I would drop Harbhajan, play with Mishra as the lone spinner with Sehwag doing the 2nd spinner`s job. Blood Mithun in as a surprise package. Indian fast bowlers generally start off well.