With an eye on future, the Hockey India selectors made as many as seven changes from the squad that represented India in this year's London Olympics, where they finished a disappointing 12th and last.
Mid-fielder Gurbaj Singh and striker Sarvanjit Singh, who all played in the Olympics, have also been dropped from the Australia-bound team.
The squad also does not include goalkeeper Bharat Chetri, who led India in the London Games and senior striker Tushar Khandker. Both Chetri and Khandker were omitted from the pruned 33-member probables list last month.
Promising striker Yuvraj Walmiki, who was left out of the Olympics squad due to a hamstring injury, returned to the squad along with defender Rupinderpal Singh.
Nithin Thimmaiah and Akashdeep Singh were the two new inclusion in the forwardline, while P R Sreejesh and P T Rao are the two goalkeepers in the squad.
Defender Harbir Singh and mid-fielder Gurmail Singh are also two new faces in the national team.
Star mid-fielder Sardar Singh will lead the team in both the tournaments in Australia, while defender VR Raghunath has been named his deputy.
The selectors also named six stand-byes in Srenivas Rao (goalkeeper), Amit Rohidas (defender), M B Aiyappa (halfback), Chinglensana Singh (forward), Pradhanna Sommanna (forward) and P L Thimmanna (forward).
Hockey India selectors Col. Balbir Singh, B P Govinda and Thoiba Singh as well as government observer Harbinder Singh and chief coach Michael Nobbs picked the squad after witnessing the three-day trials at SAI Centre, Netaji Subash Institute of Sports in Patiala from October 25-27. MORE
