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Untitled Document
 End of the road for Sourav Ganguly?
8th Sep 2008 22:02 IST
Agencies
The selectors have today put a huge question mark over the future of former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly by leaving him out of the Rest of India squad for the September 24-28 Irani Cup tie against Ranji Trophy champions Delhi at Vadodara.
Ganguly had a poor Test series in Sri Lanka along with the other three senior batsmen -- Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman -- and his exclusion has triggered off speculation on his future as an international player.
Ganguly mustered 96 runs in the three-Test rubber, which India lost to Sri Lanka and his lack of runs in the middle order, along with the poor run with the bat of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, cost India dear.
The 36-year-old Bengal stalwart seems to be in the same position that he found himself previously when Greg Chappell was the coach of the national squad and had to fight his way back into the team through domestic cricket.
This time around age factor too is against the country's most successful Test skipper, who has accumulated 6888 runs in 109 Tests.
Besides, he has lost his place in the Indian one-day team along with Dravid who has also been put under the scanner after a shoddy display in Lanka along with Tendulkar and Laxman.
But it was not long ago, December 12, 2007 to be precise that Ganguly scored his maiden double century of his career while playing against Pakistan in the first innings of the third and final Test of the series.
Ganguly was involved in a 300-run partnership for the 5th wicket along with Yuvraj Singh, who too was left out of the Irani Squad today.
That much needed partnership between Ganguly and Yuvraj saved India, which was struggling at 61/4. Ganguly later went on to score 239 before being dismissed.
Ganguly has been prolific in both Test and ODI cricket in the year 2007. He scored 1106 Test runs at an average of 61.44 (with three centuries and four fifties) in 2007 to become the second highest run getter in Test matches of that year after Jacques Kallis. He is the fifth highest run getter in 2007 in ODIs, where he scored 1240 runs at 44.28.
Though his supporters are confident that he will make yet another comeback to the Indian team, Ganguly chose not to comment on the issue, but knowing his fighting instincts, the former Indian captain must be gearing up for yet another fight to stage a return. Probably the last one in his illustrious career. |
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