Rumour, red herring or smokeout?

Indeed, it seemed to have that kind of effect. Asked at the press conference today whether Ganguly would be returning, captain Rahul Dravid clearly stated that these rumours were 8216;8216;baseless8217;8217; and Ganguly remains among the 16 available cricketers to be picked for the next match.

8216;8216;We might not even opt for five bowlers in the next match. Who knows?8217;8217; Dravid said.

Chances are that he might well be included in the playing eleven for the third and final Test in Karachi. After opting to play five bowlers here, the Indian think-tank is believed to be planning to revert to the six-four combination that took the field in Lahore.

Conditions in Karachi are bound to be different from what the Indians came across in Faisalabad and Lahore, at least going by the fact that the PCB is genuinely interested in repairing their image that has taken a severe beating because of the quality of the wickets here.

Therefore, in case there are seaming tracks, India may well opt for an extra batsman in Karachi and that is where Ganguly8217;s inclusion appears to be a possibility at the moment.