Iu00a0am ready to play." Southpaw Gautam Gambhir is all set to take on New Zealand in the three-Test series starting next month, but it is to be seen if he gets picked by the national selectors, who meet in Chennai to choose the 15-man Test squad today.

Regular opener Gambhir missed the series-winning Bangalore Test against Australia recently due to a knee injury. He was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the Garden City yesterday.

The southpaw can't wait to tackle Daniel Vettori's Kiwis. Gambhir's partner, Virender Sehwag was in Chennai, visiting a specialist doctor for his troublesome shoulder which kept him out of the three-match one-day series that concluded in Goa yesterday. Before entering the doctor's chamber, Sehwag told MiD DAY: "Looks like I will play the Tests." Meanwhile, it is learnt that Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman are in Germany, probably consulting doctors to ensure they are in peak condition for the New Zealand series as well as the all-important South Africa tour in December.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has started bowling in the nets again. He too, like Gambhir, missed the Bangalore Test, due to a knee injury. However, his selection is not a certainty. Saurashtra's Jaidev Unadkat could come in if the selectors are not convinced about Ishant's fitness.

The first Test gets underway on November 4 at Motera.

The likely Test squad:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper) Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma or Jaidev Unadkat