The National selectors, under the stewardship of Dilip Vengsarkar, will meet here on Thursday to appoint the new captain for Indian Test team and the squad for the remaining three one-dayers as well as for the Test matches.

While naming of the captain will dominate the proceedings, the selection of the team will also hold no less a place in the meeting that is expected to begin nearly at six o'clock. The one-day squad is not expected to throw up any big surprises as the selectors have more or less decided upon retaining the same squad for the remainder of the series against Pakistan.

It means Rahul Dravid will have to wait further to return to the one-day team. The only player who could be dropped to bring back the former captain is Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Praveen Kumar, but the wise men believe that it might curb options for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But the Bangalorean is almost a certainty for the three Test series against the rivals from across the border. Dravid had scored a superb 214 for Karnataka against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede stadium. Test series will begin in Delhi on November 22.

Names of players like Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary too might come up for discussion. Raina has been in superb form of late. The Uttar Pradesh left-hander had scorched the Challenger Trophy held in Ahmedabad with some brilliant knocks, and recently he smashed a double hundred against Orissa in the Ranji Trophy.

Tiwary, returning after a shoulder injury that he had suffered during India's Bangladesh tour in May this year, too has been in fine fettle and has impressed the powers that be with some good knocks.

Focal point

However, the focal point of the discussion will be the selection of new skipper for the Test team. At this juncture, Dhoni is the most likely candidate to ascend to the hot seat after displaying impressive leadership qualities in the limited over and Twenty20 matches.

The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman will face contest from veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble. There is a school of thought that argues that Dhoni should not be overburdened, and they might put forward the option of appointing 37-year-old Kumble as skipper for a one-year term with Dhoni as his deputy.

V V S Laxman's name too is likely to come up for discussion for Test captaincy.