Ganguly was included in the 15-member squad by the new selection panel that was appointed only Saturday.

Following indifferent form during the recent test series in Sri Lanka, Ganguly’s selection for the tests against Australia was in doubt when he was left out for the Irani Trophy match which pits the Ranji Trophy champion against a Rest of India selection.

Ganguly, 36, was also not involved in India’s conditioning camp that began Tuesday in Bangalore, where the first test begins Oct. 9.

Indian media reports said Ganguly, who has 6,888 runs from 109 tests, was considering retirement if he was not chosen in the squad.

Ganguly’s made only 96 runs in three tests during India’s 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka, but the new selectors banked on the former skipper’s experience.

The new selection panel, headed by former test captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, kept faith with the seasoned middle-order lineup that includes Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman.

Wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni returns after missing the tests in Sri Lanka, with Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel making way.

The two test rookies in the squad are middle-order batsman Subramaniam Badrinath and leg spinner Amit Mishra, both of whom have played in three limited-overs internationals. They replace Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha from the squad that toured Sri Lanka.

Mishra is back in national team contention five years after playing his last international one-dayer in 2003.