Mumbai get their due in National sqaud

Mumbai get their due in National sqaud
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, March 16: Happy days are here again for Mumbai cricket. There was a period when Mumbai's presence was omnipresent in the National squad. However, in recent years, it was reduced to just two -- Sachin Tendulkar and Ajit Agarkar.

But now, there would be three more (ofcourse Agarkar is out due to viral infection) who would be carrying the Mumbai tag inside the Indian dressing room.

Leggie Sairaj Bahutule's selection was almost certain with Narendra Hirwani's `unceremonious ouster'. Left arm off-spinner Nilesh Kulkarni too found favour with the National selectors, while wicket-keeper and Mumbai skipper Sameer Dighe also received a call to join the Indian team on Friday as the first choice. Glovesman Nayan Mogia has been declared unfit.

Bahutule and Kulkarni both left for Chennai early Friday morning, while Dighe took an evening flight.

Reacting to his selection, Dighe told òf40óThe Indian Express, ``I'm happy to have got a call. I'm also happy for Nilesh (Kulkarni) and Sairaj (Bahutule).''

V Bahutule, Sairaj's father, when contacted in absence of his son, appeared very emotional. He recalled the recent past when his son was denied a berth in the squad for the first and second Test. ``It happens. That is why, when I first gave the bat in three-year-old Sai's hands, I had told him, `whatever you do, give your best,'' said Bahutule Senior.

After having performed his best, wasn't it disappointing for Bahutule to have lost a place to Narendra Hirwani?

``Yes, he was a bit disappointed but recovered from the bad news soon,'' Bahutule added.

Many feel that Kulkarni, who did well against Australia during the 1998 tour, should have been the automatic choice when the selectors were looking for Rahul Sanghvi's replacement.

And with just one Test to make their mark, the task would be quite daunting for the Mumbai players.

``That is why all of us should grab the opportunity and prove their mettle,'' said Dighe, who added that his team's (Mumbai) Ranji Trophy semi-final against Punjab next week will pose no problems. ``Paras Mhambrey, Santosh Saxena and Sriram Kannan can form a good seaming attack. As far as wicket-keeping is concerned, Amol Rane and Abhijit Shetye are competent enough to handle the job.''

Mumbai coach Ashok Mankad, who has been fighting his boys' cause for a long, exclaimed, ``I don't believe this. I was expecting Nilesh Kulkarni, but not Dighe. It's terrific. Even Sairaj's selection (Bahutule) was doubtful because I felt the selectors' could go in for two off-spinners.''

After Mumbai's outstanding show against Australia in a three-day match here, Mankad had suggested that the National selectors could have done justice to the Mumbai performers by not selecting the team for the first Test much before the practice game.

Mankad also said that he would not be bothered about the absence of the top players ahead of the Ranji Trophy semi-final.