The word ‘rest’, commonly preferred by selectors when players are left out, implies a certain willingness on the part of everyone concerned. Without consent, there is no rest. The alternate word, often the more accurate, is ‘drop’ where there is an element of force involved. And so we need to read between the lines and figure out whether the choice of words, in the case of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, is meant to explain or to conceal. Did they want the ‘rest’ or was the decision taken for them?

Reading between the lines is hazardous, and often inaccurate, but is necessary if the facts have not been spelt out. If indeed Ganguly and Tendulkar have been ‘rested’ will they be back in the team for the one-dayers in Ireland and England? And if indeed they are, somebody has to make way for them. Or maybe we are not looking that far ahead in which case, a delicious scenario awaits us if the youngsters do well in Bangladesh.

What of the others? The most contentious will be the presence of Sehwag and Mongia. And clearly they have come at the expense of Mohammad Kaif. It suggests that the selectors needed batsmen who could provide bowling options and from that point of view, this must seem to be a horses for courses selection. It also shows up the paucity of all-rounders in our cricket.

Sri Lanka have two bowlers and a wicket keeper in their top six, New Zealand have three bowlers. I can see Ravi Shastri’s role here for he has often spoken highly of Mongia on our programmes on ESPN Star. In a healthy domestic cricket scenario, Mongia would have been pushed and may have been an easy casualty if a 23-year-old had offered the same package. Our youngsters still don’t understand the importance of a second language!

Kaif must now be wondering where he stands. If he cannot make the side in the absence of Ganguly and Tendulkar, then it must look bleak for him when they return. And we presume they will because they are being ‘rested’. Realistically his next opportunity could be as late as November when Pakistan arrive to play a series. There are seven one-day games before that against Australia but unless he is picked for England he will have nothing new to back his cause.

Harbhajan’s exit was expected. He has performed poorly and in the eyes of some looks unsettled.

If indeed something is bothering him, the break will do him good, it will allow him to return to his roots and re-assess himself. He is a great performer and that is why he must have someone sensible by his side in the next few months; someone who will get him focused on performance and not on anger and discontent and other such enemies of success.

I hope India find an opportunity to play Manoj Tiwary. He has come on the weight of runs and that is the only language a batsman should speak. But more than the runs he has scored, it is his aggressive, positive manner that seems to have endeared him to many. It is players like him that Shastri will be very good with.

The Test squad has a few interesting selections as well. Clearly the experiment with Kaarthick at the top of the order in South Africa seems to have been endorsed. If indeed this is a long-term move, something that Greg Chappell was also in favour of, then Kaarthick must open the batting at every opportunity.

Again he will benefit from speaking to Shastri, a compact limited player with a very strong mind, who made a success of moving up the order.

That means there is a scramble for middle order places. For all the talk of change, India’s middle order has remained the same for the last six years, and Laxman, the most recent of the Test players, got his first game eleven years ago! It also means that seven years after breaking into the Indian team, and three years after a fine century in Pakistan, Yuvraj may not get a game in the Tests in Bangladesh. That would be fine if India were winning consistently but otherwise, a little message needs to go out that there is more competition brewing in the middle order.

Ranadeb Bose would be disappointed to miss out, but I have no doubt that if this were a team for England, he would be in it.

He moves the ball at a decent pace but I suspect the word has gone around the cricket world that young Bangladesh batsmen don’t like the ball coming up at them.

Maybe that is why VRV Singh is in the side, but here is a bowler that everybody talks up but he doesn’t yet have the figures to back that.

And yes, no vice-captain!