Gavaskar included in Rest of India squad

When it comes to selection meetings in India, all but the most naïve among us know better than to be surprised. To echo the Smashing Pumpkins, the impossible is possible tonight ... and every other night. The Rest of India team chosen to take on Mumbai for the Irani Trophy fulfilled the surprise criteria with the inclusion of Rohan Gavaskar and Amit Bhandari, though most of the 14 picked themselves.

Sourav Ganguly leads perhaps the strongest Rest of India team to be assembled in over half a decade. Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Parthiv Patel and Virender Sehwag - fitness problems now in the past - were certainties to be selected, while the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Laxmipathy Balaji and Amit Bhandari could look back on a successful Challenger Trophy as the reason for their inclusion.

Sanjay Bangar, whose grit in adverse English conditions presumably still lingers in selectorial memory, was chosen ahead of Shiv Sunder Das and Gautam Gambhir as Sehwag's opening partner. In the scramble for middle-order places, it was Sridharan Sriram, Hemang Badani and Mohammad Kaif who missed out, with Yuvraj and Gavaskar the beneficiaries.

With Ashish Nehra still well short of fitness following the operation on his ankle, Balaji and Bhandari will battle for the chance to share the new ball with Zaheer Khan. Balaji was easily the outstanding pace bowler in the Challenger Trophy, while Bhandari did his cause no harm in not getting slaughtered by Sachin Tendulkar in the final.

Murali Karthik was included to provide a third slow-bowling option, while Patel edged out Ajay Ratra and Thilak Naidu for the keeper's slot.

Rest of India squad Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sanjay Bangar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel, Zaheer Khan, Laxmipathy Balaji, Amit Bhandari, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Murali Karthik, Rohan Gavaskar.