Badrinath keen to grab a slot in India Test team

Rajkot: While there are quite a few in the race to grab the slots vacated by the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in India`s Test squad, Tamil Nadu`s middle-order mainstay Subramaniam Badrinath said he is waiting for an opportunity to get back into the national squad.

"It is very tough to fill the place vacated by V V S Laxman and Rahul Dravid. I am waiting for chances and would grab the opportunities to get back in the national squad," said Badrinath, who will be captaining India `A` during the Challenger Trophy, starting here from Saturday. Badrinath expressed confidence of putting up a good show at the three-team event that he said might help him get back into the Indian team. "The Challenger Trophy is a premier domestic tournament and I am looking forward to give my best to secure a place in the national side," Badrinath told reporters here. The right-handed batsman said he was waiting for his turn and will exploit the opportunities in the 50-over-a-side event, where India `B` and Bengal are the other two teams. India `A` look balanced on paper having batsmen like Ajinkya Rahane, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey, apart from the skipper. Pacers Ishant Sharma, Parvinder Awana and two left-arm spinners Iqbal Abdulla and Pragyan Ojha would be handling the bowling department. India `B` led by Cheteshwar Pujara, too, have a combination of young and experienced players. "We have a balanced side consisting of young and seasoned players. I hope the players would give their best," said Pujara. The 24-year-old right-handed batsman said he does not feel burdened by responsibility of leading the team. "I have been captain over the last two years in many domestic tournament. I have good experience as a skipper," he insisted. The squad`s batting would revolve around Pujara, Murali Vijay, Anirudha Srikkanth and all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny and Baba Aparajith, who was in the U-19 World Cup winning team. Their bowling department consists of Umesh Yadav, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar and they are expected to be well supported by Harmeet Singh, Jadeja and Sandeep Sharma. Bengal, led by Wriddhiman Saha, will have the likes of Laxmi Ratan Shukla, S Goswami, Debabrata Das and Alok Sharma in their ranks. The first match will be played between Bengal and India `A`, while the final would take place on October 2. PTI