Taus Rizvi/DNA
 
Mumbai, Sep 10: In the dust raised over Sourav Ganguly’s exclusion from the Rest of India squad, two key decisions of the selection committee have largely gone unnoticed. The dropping of Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma from the squad has a much larger significance than the omission of the former India captain for the September 24-28 match.

The two most talented youngsters in the country seem to have lost way at a time when the Indian cricket is exploring ways to gradually phase out the seniors and bring in youngsters. The loss of form of Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma, in that sense, is a setback to Indian cricket.

Indian selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar, who has been following Yuvraj since his younger days expressed disappointment over his exclusion in the Rest of India squad. The legendary cricketer has been a big fan of Yuvraj and he once said that his cover drive reminds him of Sir Gary Sobers.

“It is unfortunate that such kind of a brilliant and an outstanding batsman could not make it to the side. He is going through a lean patch right now but I am sure he will work hard and fight his way back into the side,” the former India Test skipper told DNA.

It was a surprise that Uttar Pradesh batsman Mohammed Kaif made it to the virtual Test squad for the Australia series. Who would have thought that Kaif, whose international career was fading once he was dropped from the Indian squad South Africa series in 2006.

Since then, however, Kaif has left no sinew unstrained to regain his place in the Indian squad. Last season, he was the fourth highest scorer in the Ranji Trophy with 687 runs, 262 runs from two Duleep Trophy games. Adding to that is 94 in the recent unofficial Test for India A against Australia A in Bangalore.

Once regarded as future of Indian cricket, Yuvraj’s six sixes in an over in 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa led many pundits to compare him with legendary Gary Sobers. His form continued in the subsequent home series against Australia (in ODIs) and Pakistan (both Tests and ODIs) and it earned him a Test berth in Australia.

The Punjab batsman, however, could not rise to the expectations in the Tests Down Under. It was followed by none-too-impressive performance in the CB Series (ODIs), Bangladesh Tri-series, Asia Cup and the series against Sri Lanka. The southpaw managed only two half centuries in last 22 ODIs.

Form, it seems, is not the only factor that led Yuvraj’s axe. There have been serious concerns regarding his ability to handle spinners. His vulnerability against spinners was clearly seen in Asia Cup (Pakistan) and Idea Cup (Sri Lanka) while facing the duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis. The knee injury he suffered before the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy in India could be another reason for his lack of form.