Age becomes an issue for Indian cricket stalwarts

NEW DELH: India's four most senior batsmen, the engine room of the national side for more than a decade, are facing a debate over their age and whether the time is ripe to inject fresh blood into the test squad.

Dubbed the "Fab Four", former captains Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar plus Vangipurappu Laxman are coming under pressure ahead of a high-profile home test series against Australia starting on Oct 9.

The heated debate has been sparked after they struggled during a 2-1 test series defeat in Sri Lanka in July and August, where spin sensation Ajantha Mendis repeatedly foxed them.