Nip and tuck, and no major surgery

After a desperately disappointing season - India lost 13 of the 23 ODIs they contested in the past 12 months, and five of the nine wins came against minnows - the prospect of wholesale surgery must have been tempting for the selection panel. After all, a team that was bested only by peerless Australia at the 2003 World Cup had subsequently tumbled to eighth in the rankings after a string of deplorable performances best encapsulated by the meek surrender against Pakistan when defending 315 at Ahmedabad.

But by opting merely for a nip here and a tuck there, the selectors have confirmed what many India-watchers already know, that the core of an exceptional side is already in place. But the fresh graft or two in time for the new season is indicator enough that further disfiguring defeats will not be tolerated with the World Cup less than two years away.

The installation of a new coach has undoubtedly helped the likes of Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao sneak in ahead of perennial pretenders like Sridharan Sriram and Dinesh Mongia. Both play for unfashionable outfits, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra respectively, but have surged into contention on the back of consistent performances at domestic level. Raina, a free-stroking left-hander who can bowl a bit of miserly offspin, was a vital cog in India's U-19 World Cup campaign, and is highly rated by Robin Singh, who coached him at that level.

The most encouraging selection is Jai P Yadav, the wrong side of 30 but in the form of his life as Railways swept all before them last season. It remains to be seen whether he can make the big step up to international class, but by selecting him, the panel have saved the Ranji Trophy from being labelled an inferior competition contested by inferior players.

There is also a return for VVS Laxman, with Greg Chappell clearly having recognised that his classy batting can camouflage tardiness in the field. Continuity is the recurring theme elsewhere, with Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh the specialist spinners to complement a four-man pace attack. Again, there's no place for the likes of Ajit Agarkar and Amit Bhandari with the accent seemingly on untapped talent rather than proven inconsistency.

With Sachin Tendulkar out through injury and Sourav Ganguly likely to stay on the sidelines, it will be interesting to see who Chappell pitchforks into the opening slot alongside Virender Sehwag. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Raina would be the usual suspects, but even Yuvraj Singh might be given a go if the situation demands extreme flexibility.

As West Indies have sent such an enfeebled side, India's main challenge will come from the hosts who are formidable opponents in home conditions. Apart from Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka employ a phalanx of slow bowlers adept at drying up the runs. If India are to give Chappell a winning start, Raina, Rao and Yadav will need to be similarly adequate fillers, in addition to exhibiting the batting flair for which they have been picked.

For Rahul Dravid, it's another opportunity to test his leadership skills. Regardless of whether Ganguly makes a return or not, it's inevitable that Dravid will captain on a permanent basis, sooner rather than later. Crucially, given the pressure of expectation that weighs down Indian teams, both he and Chappell start off with the slate wiped clean. After all, it can't get any worse than eighth in the world.