Ganguly included in tests

[Jono]

i'm actually glad ganguly is back in the test team. if he doesnt perform, his blind supporters will have to shut up because he was given a chance over the in-form kaif and yuvraj and zaheer (who isnt an all-rounder like ganguly). if he does perform, well that's always a good thing.

I am a Ganguly fan, as are many other Indian supporters. We respect what he's done in the past for India and remember his great knocks. I think the term you are looking for is "crazy Ganguly fanatics" and I doubt Ganguly failing, whether it be with bat, ball or field will shut them up.

 

[Pratters]

I think Kapil Dev was spot on when he said a lot of players have made come backs like M.Amarnath and the like.

Ganguly should have followed the path of performing in FC and domestic cricket cricket so splendidly that there would have been no option except to select him in the team again. If he could not manage those exceptional performances well thats that.

But making statements like I am bowling well and following that path to make the team as an all rounder after he did not back himself as a bowler as captain or otherwise in the past 5 years shows him very poorly.

 

[SJS]

The most likely case scenario

Ganguly will play and bat at number six after Tendulkar and Laxman.

He will bat for his life. He will give it his all. Being a test match, time is unlikely to be of great relevance. So I would expect him to play a slow steady innings. Number six will suit him Unless he comes in with the second new ball.

He will play very very carefully, excessively so and may, in between, with second rung slow bowlers (read everyone other than Murali) try to break free with lofted shots.

Sri Lanka is likely to attack him with short pitched stuff as soon as he comes in. But if a long partnership has ensued and the bowlers are weary, it may not be effective.

Murali might bother him a bit. But I suspect, the nedium pacers, if fresh, to come at him strongly.

It should be an interesting match within a match.

If he does play, I do hope for India's sake, that he comes good with the bat for that cant be bad for any team.

I hope, also for India's sake, that Ganguly talks to someone with sense who advises him to go out of his way not to make a nuisance of himself, intentionally or inadvertantly, because of the baggage of the recent past.

If he manages both these, we may all be much happier than we are today and happy days may continue.

But...

,,,there is a new selection committee to be appointed in a couple of months or so. The BCCI elections and the new committee could determine more of what happens with team India than all the good performances on the field.

*crosses fingers and tries to rub the furrows on the forehead away+

 

[Pratters]

,,,there is a new selection committee to be appointed in a couple of months or so. The BCCI elections and the new committee could determine more of what happens with team India than all the good performances on the field.

Interestingly the new selection committee will be appointed just after the elections

 

[Pratters]

After performing for your country for 10 years, you expect to be in the team - S.Ganguly. In Quote of the day in Telegraph Calcutta yesterday on its front page.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

It's a token move and it shows exactly what's wrong with Indian cricket - no guts. The selectors did well to remove him as captain, but in what possible way does Ganguly deserve to be in the team on batting, bowling, or allround merit? He'd honestly struggle to make the West Indies team. They're too afraid to drop the prince.

 

[Pratters]

It's a token move and it shows exactly what's wrong with Indian cricket - no guts. The selectors did well to remove him as captain, but in what possible way does Ganguly deserve to be in the team on batting, bowling, or allround merit? He'd honestly struggle to make the West Indies team. They're too afraid to drop the prince.

That is not the only thing wrong with Indian cricket Liam. Dravid to be appointed as test captain, selection committee meeting to be preponed and Ganguly to be chosen in the team in it with the preponement to be done so that flaming Calcuttan fanatics pacify before the Calcutta one dayer - all get reported in Telegraph Calcutta prior to the events happening.

The elections drama earlier would convince even the doubters that Indian Cricket stinks because a lot of reasons.

 

[Sanz]

A little off topic, but Sachin's bowling (obviously he is far from an allrounder, so don't someone (looking at you Sanz) use this as a way of starting the "Everyone thinks Sachin can do no wrong" rhetoric) has come in handy many times in tests. I remember him taking vital wickets in two of India's biggest test wins in recent times. The Kolkata test against Australia in 2001, and the Adelaide test against Australia in 2004. I believe he may have removed Steve Waugh and Martyn in Adelaide, and I distinctly recall him bowling a fantastic wrong'un to Warne in the Kolkata test to get him out.

Ganguly's bowling was very useful in ODIs a few years ago. I don't recall any such incidents in tests however.

Haha..dont worry pal I rate SRT's bowling pretty high infact IMO he can bowl better than Murali Kartik and most other spinners in India (that is if he starts practising a little more on the nets) barring Anil & Bhajji.

Anyways..I am LMAO @ this nonsense of selecting Ganguly as an allrounder and the fact that guy who missed out was Zaheer Khan. But I dont think I am surprised because as soon as I saw him bowling in Duleep trophy I was almost sure that this guy will come back as an allrounder.

But that said I am not going to blame him for this selection. It's the selection committee which has to be blamed. More and Company Please quit if you cant make a decision on your own, you dont deserve to be in the selection panel and a disgrace.

Anyways, I hope Dravid selects the best XI for the tests and If at all Ganguly is selected in the finals XI I hope he does well as an allrounder (although I have a feeling that he wont).

 

[Sanz]

Oh I forgot to add.. I do rate Ganguly pretty highly as an allrounder and I dont think his bowling figures do justice to him as a bowler and I wont be surprise if he takes more wickets than Pathan (and scores less runs than him).

 

[Sanz]

i'm actually glad ganguly is back in the test team. if he doesnt perform, his blind supporters will have to shut up because he was given a chance over the in-form kaif and yuvraj and zaheer (who isnt an all-rounder like ganguly). if he does perform, well that's always a good thing.

I think that is a pretty good reasoning and probably that's what selectors have in mind. IMO basically they have given Ganguly a last chance to prove that he can still contribute to this team.

 

[Pratters]

But that said I am not going to blame him for this selection. It's the selection committee which has to be blamed. More and Company Please quit if you cant make a decision on your own, you dont deserve to be in the selection panel and a disgrace.

I unignored you. I dont carry baggage.

The selection panel comprises of zonal representatives. Pressure from the zones and if they dont follow the words of the zonal representatives, they get sacked. Thus some selectors are branded as pro-Ganguly and some as anti-Ganguly depending upon the weight exercised in a particular zone by the media.

A lot stinks in Indian cricket as I said.

 

[honestbharani]

I am with adharcric here. I think this move will go okay. I honestly don't mind a test match loss if it will put an end to the current idiocies.

 

[Sanz]

Bharani - Ganguly or no Ganguly I dont think we are losing a single test to SL. What I am afraid of is that he might actually score big as Lankan bowling doesn't look too threatening to me. If he scores even decently then you know the wait time for Kaif/Yuvraj/Rao etc can be much much longer.

 

[honestbharani]

so long as he is going to perform, who is complaining though? I think he would be mature enough to atleast let Dravid lead the team his way and do what he is asked to do.

 

[SJS]

After performing for your country for 10 years, you expect to be in the team - S.Ganguly. In Quote of the day in Telegraph Calcutta yesterday on its front page.

I hope we dont have Gavaskar and Kapil saying the same tomorrow

 

[Jono]

Absolutely wondeful Kapil Dev quotes in your sig SJS.

 

[Sanz]

Absolutely wondeful Kapil Dev quotes in your sig SJS.

To be fair to Kolkatans - they did protest when Kapil was dropped for a test in 1984. Although I must say that there is a difference, then Kapil was @ the top of his game and whereas Ganguly is at the bottom of his game now.

Needless to say I find it very disheartening to see fans behave like this when we all know that Ganguly doesn't deserve to be in team if performance is the criteria.

 

[Jono]

I was just looking back at some photos I took when I was at an Indian training session during their tour to Aust back in 2004. It was the day before the VB Series Final against Aus. I found a photo of the great allrounder, Ganguly steaming in. You can tell wickets are near. The batsman better watch out.

 

[Pratters]

I am a fan of Kapil for wearing his thoughts on the sleeve. Similar way to how he used to play the game - the little which I did watch him 1991-1994. Too much analysis is done on the guy when he is really there on the face.

 

[Anil]

this was inevitable, it was only a matter of time before this happened....i am just afraid factionalism might raise its ugly head again if ganguly starts playing politics and that could screw up the whole dynamic of this budding team....