Mount Mohali For Dravid As Yuvraj Climbs Test Ladder

New Delhi: In Mohali two men will have a contrasting view of the future after what happened in Chennai. Yuvraj Singh proved that he belonged to the Test arena but Rahul Dravid failed to overcome the ghosts of an unusually long run of failure and now faces an uncertain future.

For Yuvraj his unbeaten 84 on Monday was a moment of reckoning. He joined his childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar with the target still 163 runs away and victory rested on how well he supported his mentor. The southpaw passed the test and when they walked off the park, Yuvraj Singh knew he had been part of an unique moment.

“I thought if I could ever win a Test match with him (Sachin Tendulkar) and today that dream has come true,” said Yuvraj after India won by six wickets against England.

However, on the other side of the coin is the conundrum surrounding Rahul Dravid’s poor run of form; it has now become more than a passing headache.

He averages less than 30 this year in Tests but even if many believe his time has passed, his team continues to support the once formidable “Wall.”

“Whatever people are saying about Rahul, is not worrying any of us. He is a great player and he will definitely score runs,” stated Tendulkar.

But will Dravid repay that support. The selectors have reportedly assured Dravid, that his place is under no immediate threat although there may be a chance in his batting position. It’s a move that many experts support.

“I would have him bat at number five. I will make him swap places with VVS Laxman and I will pick him for Mohali,” Sunil Gavaskar told CNN-IBN.

So come Mohali, these two men face their own unique challenge. One to build on a reputation and the other to salvage lost pride.

Yuvraj Back In India Test Squad

India have announced a 15-man squad for the two-Test series against England beginning in Chennai on 11 December.

Yuvraj Singh, 26, who scored successive centuries in the aborted one-day series with England, is back in the Test squad for the first time since April.

He could fill the middle order gap created by Sourav Ganguly’s retirement.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who toured Sri Lanka but has yet to make his Test debut, is in the party but left-arm seamer RP Singh is omitted.

Yuvraj, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in October 2003, has had an inconsistent career in the longer format.

In 23 matches he has scored three centuries, all against Pakistan, but has also made five ducks, with an average of 32.

On India’s most recent tour of Australia in 2007/08 he was twice out for nought and made only 17 runs in two Tests.

Ojha, 22, has played five one-day internationals, taking five wickets with a best of 2-28 against Sri Lanka.

He is expected to provide cover for off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and new leg-spin hope Amit Mishra.

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India squad: Mahendra Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Subramaniam Badrinath, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha.