Rohit Sharma replaces Chawla in ODI squad

Rohit Sharma will be hoping to make an impression in the ODIs against Australia © AFP

Rohit Sharma, the Indian middle-order batsman, has been named as the replacement for Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, in the 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia. He will join the team in time for the second ODI in Kochi. The Indian board also retained Lalchand Rajput as the team's manager.

Chawla had been ruled out of action for six weeks, after twisting his ankle at a practice session during the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. He didn't feature during India's winning campaign.

Sharma had been omitted from the original squad after sitting on the bench through the seven-match ODI series in England. However, he starred in the ICC World Twenty20, scoring 88 runs in three innings without getting out.

His match-winning fifty against South Africa helped India qualify for the semi-finals, and he chipped in with a crucial 30 off 16 balls in India's win over Pakistan in the final. He scored 8 in his only ODI innings, against South Africa in Belfast last June.

Before the addition of Chawla the team to take on Australia already had two spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar. In England the legspin-offspin duo of Chawla and Powar achieved some degree of success, taking nine wickets in the six ODIs they played together.

Rajput managed the team during the World Twenty20 and the BCCI asked him to stay at his post as an interim arrangement for the seven ODIs against Australia.

India has had interim cricket managers for all international series since coach Greg Chappell opted not to extend his contract after India's World Cup debacle. Ravi Shastri and Chandu Borde were managers on the tours of Bangladesh and United Kingdom respectively.

The BCCI, which has formally invited applications, is expected to name a full-time coach before the series against Pakistan in November.