Ganguly vs Chappell: (Un)civil war, turf battles

I have no hesitation in saying he has made a significant contribution to my batting. He (Chappell) suggested a few mental and technical adjustments and they must have been good for I now have two hundreds from two Test matches.

— Ganguly after his 144 at Brisbane, c. 2003. Almost a lifetime ago

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

They don’t need to be best friends but there has to be a good working relationship. Once the game starts, the captain’s the one out on the field. He’s the boss, it’s his team. I think that’s a very important demarcation between the two roles.

— Greg Chappell soon after taking charge of the Indian team in May. He didn’t, of course, specify who the captain was

THE FIRST SIGNS

There are some things which are non-negotiable. Fielding and fitness are two of them. Unfortunately, players would not find it any easier. Guys who are buying into it are going ahead and those who are not buying into it will find themselves by the wayside

— Chappell before leaving on the ill-fated Zimbabwe tour

THE DAM BREAKS I: CARELESS WHISPER

Yes, it was suggested. I was under a lot of pressure

— Ganguly’s response at Bulawayo press conference when asked if he’d been asked to step down as captain before the Test

THE RESPONSE

Things come up from time to time and people get frustrated. They say things which probably they don’t really mean and are not as important as they are made out to be. If we keep looking at success a lot of these issues would fade away.

— The day after, Chappell goes all statesmanlike. Little did we know he was burning the midnight oil at his laptop

THE DAM BREAKS II: MAIL HATE

Everything he does is designed to maximise his chances of success and is usually detrimental to someone else’s chances…This team has been made to be fearful and distrusting by the rumour-mongering and deceit that is Sourav’s modus operandi of divide and rule.

— Chappell tells it like he thinks it is. The gloves are off

BHAJJI BATS FOR DADA

Ganguly has rebuilt this team and whatever the team has achieved so far, credit goes to the captain. (The coach’s conduct) can create fear among players

— Ganguly’s most loyal lieutenant Harbhajan puts his neck on the line

THE GAG ORDER

Enough is enough

— BCCI boss Ranbir Singh Mahendra to the media. Too little, too late. Ultimately, a prediction that didn’t come true

THE FALL, PT I: ODI AXE

Rahul Dravid has been named as captain for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and South Africa. It has nothing to do with Ganguly. The selectors wanted a change and therefore opted for Dravid

— BCCI secretary SK Nair wields the first blow

THE FALL, PT II: FAILING THE TEST

Dravid has been named as captain for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. It’s time for us to look ahead. Rahul Dravid has been performing consistently. Ganguly has not been performing well for the past two to three years. But we are not counting Ganguly out as a team member.

— Chief selector Kiran More makes it strike two and out

GREG OFFERS A HAND

It is very hard to say (what slot to play him) but he is a very important member of the team and I don’t see any problem (in working with Ganguly)

— Chappell, on the eve of the Sri Lanka Test match at Chepauk, after Ganguly had been retained in the side as a batting (or bowling) all-rounder