Indians determined to fight back …

Putting up a brave face, India captain Anil Kumble on Saturday said the team has learnt its lessons from the innings defeat against South Africa and promised to bounce back in the final Test at Kanpur to square the series.

The axe had to fall. After getting walloped by an innings in the second Test against South Africa in three days here, the selectors named a 16-man squad for the third and final Test in Kanpur, where India need to win

Although fearing that wholesale changes may unsettle the team even more, the selectors chose to keep out just one member from the existing squad, but brought in names that might surprise a few.

Rudra Pratap Singh, who has been a shadow of himself since his hamstring injury in the Test series in Australia, was on Sunday dropped from the side. The bowler was woefully out of form, and even fitness. But the wise men brought back a person who has been a mystery ever since he took his first step in international cricket: Munaf Patel.

"Munaf is fit and available for the next Test," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said, pressing on the fit word, and rightly so since it's not anymore the case of the bowling department being spoilt for choice. Munaf is scheduled to arrive here for India's extended practice session on Monday.

The other big surprise pulled off by the Dilip Vengsarkar-led selection panel was off-spinner Ramesh Powar who was nowhere in the contention of late. Shah cited Kumble's fitness as the main concern in this area.

"The Indian team management wants three spinners in the playing eleven for the Kanpur Test," he said, adding: "We have included Powar just in case Kumble is not available for the game."

Shah also disclosed that Delhi speedster Ishant Sharma has been passed fit at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Sunday, but he will have a final hurdle in Kanpur on April 10. Captain Anil Kumble, too, who was a last-minute case even for the second Test, will have to prove his fitness on the same day.

Wasim Jaffer who was in the threshold of the door being slammed on him, managed to escape the selectors' axe. Other than his double century against Pakistan last year, he has only one half-century to his name against the Proteas in the first Test. Strong contenders like Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra didn't get a look-in.

The Squad: Anil Kumble (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma and S Sreesanth.