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NEWS India-South Africa Series 2006>Guarded reaction to Ganguly's comeback 01st Dec 2006 10.57 IST By Agencies Indian coach Greg Chappell kept his feelings close to his chest on the news of Sourav Ganguly 's induction in the Test team though there was little mistaking what he made of the choice on arrival in Johannesburg. "Good till he plays," were his curt remarks to a television crew member, which was picked by milling scribes around him.
Apparently Ganguly still bears the cross of Chappell's criticism of his weakness against short-pitched fast bowling though the left-hander has been at pains to emphasise his improvement in this area in recent times. The team was selected in India while the visitors were in the air, flying from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg where they would play a Twenty20 game on Friday and then the final one-dayer in Centurion, some 40 km away from this venue, on December 3. There was presumably no dialogue between the selectors and the touring management on Thursday before the team was picked but reliable sources said Rahul Dravid , Virender Shewag and Chappell, with Sachin Tendulkar as special invitee, had conveyed their feeling to chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar on Tuesday, a day before the Port Elizabeth game. The word on Ganguly's selection reached them as soon as they touched down in Johannesburg, courtesy the sizeable media contingent which was travelling in the same flight as the team. Officially though the team came to know about the changes only after manager Prakash Dixit received the word by way of a message on his mobile from official channels of Board. As could be expected, Mohammad Kaif and Dinesh Mongia wore long faces though Suresh Raina was trying to be as chirpy and normal as he could be. The team stayed together in a huddle while Chappell and his assistant Ian Fraser stood closer to the carousel. Chappell appeared grave with the news but did not duck his responsibility in promising to do a press conference at the team hotel. However, media manager Rajan Nair nipped the proposal in the bud, lest any injudicious remark from the coach ignites further the flames already enveloping the Indian team. Ganguly, alongwith other replacements for the Test matches, is due to arrive in Johannesburg on December 4. VVS Laxman , who is already on his way as replacement to Dravid in the one-day squad, is due to arrive in Johannesburg early Friday morning. Laxman's return has been magical -- for not only has he been welcomed in the one-day arena but he has also been elevated to be the vice-captain of the Test squad. If Dravid doesn't turn up in the eleven for the first Test, and the possibility is not negligible, then Laxman could well be leading the Indian team in a Test match. Laxman has always been rated as a very fine cricketing brain in the domestic circles and his experience would come handy though how Sehwag takes the setback remains a point to ponder. The team does not plan to practice today and in the Twenty20 game on Friday, their first official game ever in this format of the game, they are still likely to field the eleven as close as possible to the one they would play in the last one-dayer in Centurion on Sunday. Also View In-Depth Coverage: India-South Africa Series 2006 Team Page: India Team Page: South Africa | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
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