Laxman has been one of the mainstays of India's batting line-up

They have been left out to accommodate Yuvraj Singh's return after injury and the need to include an extra bowler.

Laxman was out for a first ball duck in the first Test in Nagpur, but Kaif can consider himself very unlucky after an innings of 91.

India have named a 12-man squad with the final choice appearing to lie between RP Singh and Piyush Chawla.

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Pace bowler Munaf Patel looks certain to make the final XI in place of Sri Sreesanth, who has been left out after going down with a a flu virus.

The decision between Singh and Chawla will depend on which of two pitches is chosen for the match.

The groundstaff have prepared a green one which is likely to assist the seamers, and a grassless dry one which should provide turn for the spinners.

If the former is chosen, then Singh will add to the two Test caps he won on a recent tour to Pakistan.

Kaif was denied a century by Monty Panesar in Nagpur

But the alternative would see Chawla win his first Test cap in support of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh and at 17 years and 75 days become India's second youngest debutant in history.

Only Sachin Tendulkar, at 16 years and 205 days against Pakistan in 1989, has played for India at a younger age.

The main talking point among supporters, however, is bound to be the decision to leave out Laxman and Kaif, a move which means they will go into the game with only five specialist batsmen.

Laxman has been one of the mainstays of the Test side in recent years and has scored almost 4,500 runs at an average of 43.

He has nine Test centuries behind him, the most famous an innings of 281 which enabled India to beat Australia in Calcutta five years ago after trailing by 274 runs on first innings.

Well, we will miss Kaif but let's hope Sachin performs From IC Have your say on TMS

But the 31-year-old has only made one score of over fifty in his last four appearance.

Kaif, meanwhile, has yet to establish a regular place in India's Test team despite making more than 100 one-day appearances.

He played a crucial innings to rescue his side from a precarious position at 190-7 in Nagpur, but was denied a hundred by a superb ball from England's new left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.