Sourav Ganguly has made it back into the Indian team. Call it fate. Call it luck. Call it what you may, but the effervescent southpaw will be in his all whites come Johannesburg, December 15.
Here is a man who decided to go loggerheads with Greg Chappell and, for once, ended up losing. Here is one of the two protagonists of the farcical email imbroglio that showed up the ugly politics of Indian cricket. As much as it was needed, the former captain’s inclusion throws up intriguing questions. It puts a blot on the powers of Greg Chappell who, a little more than a year earlier, had seemingly put an end to Ganguly’s career.
The latter’s addition to the squad, if Chappell’s premise is to be believed, will disrupt team harmony.
This time around, however, Ganguly’s contribution will be strictly measured by what he does with the bat. The fielding placements, the bowling changes and batting orders is somebody else’s business. He is susceptible against the rising ball on bouncy tracks; that is as much a secret as Bill Clinton’s shenanigans with a White house intern some years ago. Sadly, India has no choice. Raina and Kaif are on their way back after sustained failures and the batting line-up smacks of the usual suspects that, not so long ago, made the Aussie’s chase leather in their own backyard. But time is a crucial player in this equation. The reflexes of the top five are no longer what they once were and their current from does not inspire confidence.
Whether Ganguly is selected in the eleven is another point. If Chappell has his way then he will be warming the bench. But Chappell, of the huge Aussie ego, is a smart man. He knows he has no other option. A Ganguly failure may well prove him right, but he’ll lose matches that way. A successful comeback from the most successful captain in the country’s cricketing history will probably save his job and his pride. Where there are no trees the chilli tree is the biggest tree, I guess. Except that, this chilli tree can be hot for both the opposition and his team; or, in this case, his coach.
Via: dnaindia, timesnow
