Saurav pitches in for Srinath, Kumble

Ganguly said Kumble was now India’s best bowler.

“With his record in both versions of the game, Kumble is our best bowler. He is a match-winner. So, I think there is no reason I should not have him in my side,” he said.

In contrast, Harbhajan Singh was still young and Ganguly said the seasoned Kumble would be a perfect foil to him.

On Srinath, who was flown to Colombo before India’s Champions Trophy final against Sri Lanka to replace an injured Asish Nehra, Ganguly said one should not judge the speedster’s form on the basis of his performance in the rain-aborted match on September 29. “He had landed in Colombo after a tiresome ten-hour flight. So, one should not judge him on the basis of his performance that day,” he said.

Srinath had come in for harsh treatment from the Lanka batsmen, conceding 55 runs from eight overs, and India left him out while including Kumble in the replayed final next day to exploit the spin-friendly track.

Ganguly answered in the affirmative when asked if Srinath had given him his word to turn out for the country in the longer variation of the game.