Ganguly back in reckoning

Within days of VVS Laxman joining the tour party in South Africa, there are indications that Sourav Ganguly too might join him.

Within days of VVS Laxman joining the tour party in South Africa, there are indications that Sourav Ganguly too might join him. It all started when Ganguly, despite leading Bengal to a thrilling win against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy opener at Mohali recently, hinted at handing over the captain8217;s cap to Deep Dasgupta for the subsequent matches this season.

With the Test squad to be announced on Thursday and Ganguly expecting a recall, the CAB selectors 8212;who meet tomorrow 8212; might go for a change at the top for the Bengal8217;s second Ranji game against Mumbai starting on Friday.

While BCCI opted to remain tight-lipped on the issue, recent happenings suggest that the chances of Ganguly returning to the national side seem bright. The team8217;s poor run, a series of batting failures and youngsters like Raina, Kaif and Mongia not quite adjusting to the bouncy tracks in South Africa, there seems to be some vacant spots in the Indian middle-order.

But sources say that the biggest reason for Ganguly8217;s name resurfacing is the injury to Indian batting mainstay Rahul Dravid. With the think-tank not quite sure about the Dravid8217;s availability for the Tests, there is an urgent need for an experienced hand.

Besides, Ganguly has of late been among runs at domestic level. After scoring a ton in the Duleep Trophy game, he followed it up with a modest outing on the greenish pitch at Mohali in the Ranji Trophy opener. There is also a school of thought that says that Ganguly8217;s medium pace bowling 8212; he took five wickets against Punjab just a few days back 8212; too will be handy on the bouncy tracks in South Africa.

With the selectors contemplating to drop out-of-form pacer Irfan Pathan for the Tests, all-rounder Ganguly would be ideal to replace him. Others names that will come up for discussion during the selection committee meeting for the Test series will be Gautam Gambhir and VRV Singh with the other middle order batsmen S Badrinath of Tamil Nadu with an outside chance. Meanwhile, the likes of Raina, Mongia and Agarkar will have to come with an exceptional show tomorrow at Port Elizabeth to stay on for the longer-version matches.