Laxman's arrival in a way is a complete letdown for Chappell's philosophy of looking to find younger and fitter players to shape India's one-day line-up in years to come.

Chappell has always been a big advocate of encouraging at least two-dimensional cricketers in the team, but the return of Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble, and now Laxman, appears a vote of no-confidence against his fresh-legs theory by the selectors.

The Indians have done the act of shifting horses midstream and it must be said that their World Cup plans, as well as those for the future, are going awry.