When the national selectors did eventually announce the captain’s name, it was no surprise. Nor the fact that it was a unanimous decision. What was a surprise was the tenure — two series, as opposed to the expected sole tour by Sri Lanka.The decision was a clear sign that the BCCI is backing Greg Chappell, giving him the ammunition to carry out his campaign for the 2007 World Cup. And Chappell all but beamed when talking about Rahul Dravid, the ‘‘good thinking cricketer’’ this evening.‘‘It’s good they’ve named him captain but, more importantly, they have named him for two series, not one. It’s a positive move. The first few games can be a learning curve for anyone but it is only fitting that he has been given an extended run to prove himself as a leader.’’The extended trial is also a reflection of the fact that the selectors — and the other powers that be — have learnt from their mistakes. After Dravid was relieved of the captaincy following the tri-series in Sri Lanka, it was widely believed that the Bangalore cricketer was no longer interested in the captaincy because of the short-term duration and because of the state of the team.Today’s decision solves half the problem. A dozen matches on the trot — and all in the compressed space of five weeks — should be enough time for Dravid, currently in Sydney for the ICC Super Series, to show just what he can do.The other half of the problem appears to be sorting itself out. Team unity may not be so difficult to foster when the ‘rebel’ elements figure out that the only way to survive is to perform, and perform together.To this end, Chappell has already begun dealing with dissidence — real or potential — in his own way. After his bizarre outburst against Chappell at the height of the e-mail issue, Harbhajan was reprimanded by the Punjab Cricket Association. Over the past few days in the Challenger Series, Bhajji was spotted several times in friendly conversation with the coach.Yuvraj is another about whom Chappell initially professed misgivings, with regard to temperament and durability. Yet the batsman’s form and intent have so impressed the coach that he went on record on Tuesday saying Yuvraj had taken his game to another level.If the team can start winning, unity will flow back automatically and captaincy will become relatively easy.The onus now lies on Dravid to prove he can make good use of something he has so coveted for so long. His captaincy in Sri Lanka was not the best, and India this season have won just two of the seven matches played under him.He is not a naturally aggressive or gregarious person as Ganguly is and will need to work hard to win over some of his less subtle teammates. And Ganguly’s shoes, though a little worn-out at the moment, will take some filling in; the Kolkatan set a standard for success — before lowering it himself — that will be hard to match.
