Ganguly's Final Fling
The Age
Thursday October 2, 2008
INDIA has resurrected the career of Sourav Ganguly for one last crack at Australia as part of an apparent compromise with the selectors that will begin the country's long goodbye to its five great champions.
Ganguly's selection in a 15-man squad for the first two Tests after managing only 96 runs in his most recent three-match series in Sri Lanka, confirms India will rely on the experience of its ageing stars to wrest the Border-Gavaskar Trophy away from a young, hungry Australian team.Ganguly was ignored by the previous selection panel for a trial game, and there is still no guarantee he will make the starting XI for the Bangalore Test, with newcomer Subramanim Badrinath in the squad as a middle-order alternative.A report on Indian TV last night said the Indian board had mapped out a staggered retirement plan for its Fabulous Five, with captain Anil Kumble and V.V.S.Laxman to stand aside after the Australian series, Rahul Dravid and Ganguly to retire after the home series against England in December and treasured batsman Sachin Tendulkar to play on until February's India-Pakistan contest.Whether or not those champions agree to stage-manage their departures in such a way, the Australian series represents the beginning of their farewell tour.The other new face in the Indian squad is leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who has played a handful of one-day internationals. The bowling attack will be led by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, with Kumble and Harbhajan Singh the first-choice spinners.India squad for first two Tests: Anil Kumble (c), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S.Laxman, M.S.Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, R.P.Singh, Subramaniam Badrinath, Amit Mishra.
© 2008 The Age