Sachin Tendulkar is all set to return

 

Sachin Tendulkar is all set to return to the Test arena after a break of two months but all eyes will be on VVS Laxman's future. The selectors will pick the squad for the two-match series against New Zealand, starting August 23.The selectors will also pick the final squad for the World Twenty20 Championship in Sri Lanka in September and Yuvraj Singh, who is training at the NCA after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, is in contention for a spot.

"It will depend on the fitness certificate that he will get from the NCA," a selection committee source informed.

The first Test against New Zealand will be held in Hyderabad while the second match will be played in Bangalore from August 31.

"There are two schools of thought on Laxman. One is that we should groom a youngster before the series against England, while the other wants to give Laxman a chance to play at home," the source said.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher will be attending the meeting.

Incidentally, this will be India's first Test series after their 0-4 drubbing at the hands of Australia, earlier this year.

Tendulkar, who decided to take a break from the recently-concluded limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, will be fresh and raring to have a go at the New Zealanders, who had a forgettable Test series against the West Indies.

The series will also be important as it will be the start of Team India's journey without a man responding to the name of Rahul Dravid.

Talented India A captain, Cheteshwar Pujara, who has long been touted as Dravid's ideal replacement, is likely to get a long rope to prove his worth in Test cricket.

Rohit Sharma's string of failures and Pujara's impressive show for India A in West Indies makes the latter's case stronger.

Pujara has played three Test matches in 2010 with the highlight being a 72 against Australia in Bangalore in India's successful run chase.

The most interesting part of Friday's meeting will certainly be selection committee's stance on Laxman's future.