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[Teddy]

England are set to call up uncapped left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for the tour of India, BBC Sport understands.

The selection of the 23-year-old Northamptonshire bowler, who claimed 46 championship wickets at 21.54 in 2005, is expected to be confirmed on Friday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/4652346.stm

[Cover Point]

and another budding career comes to a premature end.

This is probably the stupidest move they could make. Bringing a raw spinner to India. They would be much better off going with 4 fast bowlers. India handles spinners really well. Even Warne averages over 45 against us.

[dextrous]

But England don't have too many others they can rely on anyway. And they only really use spinners (other than Giles) in the sub-continent so if there's a place they'd blood Monty, it'd be in India. Also, England bring spinners to India as much to give their pace bowlers a rest and bowl negative line as they do to take wickets. All in all, a decent choice.

[gouravk]

yes, a quality spinner is a necessity in India and it is important tour. In the past foreign spinners have held their own in India - Vettori, Kaneria to name a few recently. Also Ray Price.

Of course Saqlain did very well in India.