Tendulkar returns to ODI fold for the Australian tri-series

Zeenews Sports Bureau

Chennai: Sachin Tendulkar has returned to the ODI fold for the first time since 2011 World Cup final. He has been included in the 17-member Indian team announced on Sunday for the upcoming tri-series in Australia that also features Sri Lanka. Praveen Kumar, who was nursing a broken rib and missed the Test series, has been recalled while Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh have been ignored on fitness grounds. Irfan Pathan, who returned to the Indian squad after a gap of two years in the home series against West Indies, has made the cut. Leg Spinner Rahul Sharma who made quite an impression in the ODI series against the Windies has been given a place alongside R. Ashwin who will be leading the spin department in the absence of Harbhajan. In the pace department Zaheer Khan, also yet to feature in an ODI since the World cup last summer, will be leading the attack along with Umesh Yadav and R Vinay. India will take on Australia in the series opener that starts from February 5. The Squad (T20 and ODI): MS Dhoni (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Manoj Tiwari, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Rahul Sharma, Virat Kohli, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan.