Mystery: Robin Uthappa goes missing!

By John Cheeran
Dileep Vengsarkar, Chairman of National selection committee, has not unearthed any new talent as he announced the one-day team for India’s South African safari starting on November 19.
There are no choices that indicate that lessons are learnt from the humiliation in Mohali against World Champions Australia.
The significant selection is that of India’s veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
For long ignored for one-day internationals, Indian bowling’s lack of bite in the recent matches against quality batting lineup has forced the team management – skipper Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell – to bring Kumble back.
Skipper Dravid is an ardent admirer of Kumble’s approach to cricket and firm believer in AK’s wicket taking abilities. This will eventually lead to Kumble becoming one of the key campaigners for India's World Cup bid.
And Zaheer Khan finally gets that call.
Indian pace attack still reads Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan. Are these guys the India's best? What a pity, if you care to look at their bowling figures!
It is a mystery that promising Karnataka opener Robin Uthappa was ignored for this important tour ahead of the World Cup. Yes, selectors have taken notice of India’s stuttering starts in one-dayers but Vengsarkar has brought in Wasim Jaffer to give Virender Sehwag a run for his money.
A sensible move? Hardly.
Uthappa should have been given the chance to parade his stroke making abilities in South Africa and I must say that Dravid and Chappell have wasted a glorious opportunity to sort out India’s fatal flaw at the top in one-dayers.
Indian Squad for South Africa:
Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh (Dinesh Karthik on stand-by), Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar (VRV Singh on stand-by).