The Ganguly Saga

Strange are the ways of BCCI. When Ganguly shouldn’t have been dropped for the third test against SL in December 2005 and the home series against England in March 2006, he was dropped. And when he shouldn’t have been picked for the ODI team (in January 2007), he was picked. One of the reasons why he shouldn’t have played the WC was that it affected the balance of the team. Ganguly coming in meant Sachin had to bat in the middle order and that was one prime reason for the early exit (I will come up with a post on Sachin being made to bat in the middle order in crucial tournaments, in sometime).

After the WC, I was of the strong opinion that Dada was a liability in the team. I still think he is, in the ODI format. He has been amazing in the tests and the half century in the second innings of the third test against England was probably the best display of batting I have ever seen from him. Against the Pakistanis, he only got better, what with a century on home turf and a double ton at Bangalore.

I think Ganguly should play at no.3 in the tests against Australia. It is sort of evident that Dravid will open with Jaffer at MCG. Both Laxman and Dada are in good form and it is only obvious that one of them will play at 3. Laxman batting at 3 will mean Dada and Yuvi batting at 5 and 6, and with both of them being southpaws, I’m not sure if that will be the right way. Dada at 3 will mean the left-handers splitting the right-handers, which will only add to the woes of Australia’s bowlers, who are already up against a formidable batting line-up.

All said and done, I hope Ganguly bags the Man of the Series trophy, gets injured immediately after the Adelaide test and doesn’t play the ODIs.