Indian cricket selectors dumped four team regulars from the national squad for the fourth and final Test match after losing the first home series against Australia in 35 years.

Openers Aakash Chopra and Yuvraj Singh, pace bowler Ajit Agarkar and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel were dropped from the squad for November 3-7 dead rubber in the western city of Mumbai.

S.K. Nair, secretary of the Indian cricket board, said the selectors deliberated for 2-1/2 hours in picking the team and decided to drop the players due to their poor performances.

Australia, which last won a Test series on Indian soil in 1969, took a series-clinching 2-0 lead Friday by winning the third Test by 342 runs. The tourists had won the opening Test match in Bangalore by 217 runs and the second match was drawn.

"The selectors are not satisfied with the performance of these cricketers, and have sought to try out young players who have done well in the domestic competitions and for India's junior side," Nair told reporters.

"The selectors are perturbed with the repeated failure of our batsmen," he added. "They discussed the dismal show of Laxman, who had been one of India's top performers against Australia in earlier contests, but decided to give him another chance.

"We are now taking the opportunity to groom some young players ahead of next month's Test series against South Africa."

The four rookies are openers Gautam Gambhir and Dhiraj Jadhav, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and medium-pacer Shib Shankar Paul.

New Delhi opener Gambhir and Karthik have represented India in one-day internationals.

Gambhir played in the one-day tri-series against Bangladesh last year when some top players were injured or rested soon after the 2003 World Cup, while Karthik was a member of the Indian team that two months ago featured in three limited-over competitions in the Netherlands and England - including the recent Champions Trophy.

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