Dinesh Karthik

Nagpur: The team management?s active support saved V.V.S. Laxman from getting the axe as four rookies, including Bengal medium-pacer Shib Shankar Paul, made their way into the squad for the final Test against Australia in Mumbai from November 3.

After the humiliating 342-run defeat at the VCA Stadium on Friday, the five selectors ? chairman Kiran More, V. B. Chandrasekhar, Gopal Sharma, Yashpal Sharma and Pranab Roy ? along with captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright deliberated over the team?s performance for more than two and-a-half hours Saturday morning. Rahul Dravid left for Bangalore last night itself and did not attend the meeting.

Yuvraj Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Parthiv Patel and Akash Chopra were dropped from the squad for the third Test and replaced by openers Gautam Gambhir of Delhi and Maharashtra?s Dheeraj Jadhav, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, besides Paul. Sourav?s availability was subject to his passing the fitness test on Monday and will be included as the 15th member.

According to The Telegraph?s sources, Laxman and Yuvraj?s performances were dealt with at length during the meeting. While Yuvraj had to go after the selectors decided to pick two openers, Laxman enjoyed the support of the coach and captain.

The Hyderabad batsman?s glorious past record against Australia and experience helped him in keeping his place despite a run of poor scores in this series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary and convenor of the selection committee S. K. Nair informed that Irfan Pathan was yet to regain match fitness and hence wasn?t considered. Retaining Parthiv after a disastrous and none-too-impressive showing in Chennai and Nagpur, respectively, would be sending the wrong signals, the selectors agreed. Jharkhand?s Mahender Singh Dhoni also came into the frame but the selectors felt it would be fair to try out Karthik who has some experience at the international level, against Australia.

Gambhir played for India during the one-day tri-series in Dhaka last year while Karthik?s debut was in England during the ICC Champions Trophy.

Jadhav, who scored a century in the India Senior-India A practice match prior to this series, was part of the A squad that toured Kenya along with Paul.

?Both Gambhir and Jadhav have been scoring runs at the domestic level and on A tours. We need to plan for the future and the selectors felt this was the right time to give them a chance,? Nair said.

Pathan?s unavailability made it easier for Paul. Avishkar Salvi and Munaf Patel were also discussed, but a ?favourable and encouraging report from the team management in Kenya? tilted the scales in the Bengal medium-pacer?s favour.