Thursday, April 07, 2005
Prince or Pauper..............?
The Prince of Calcutta has been batting like a pauper. Saurav Ganguly goes into the six-match one-day series against Pakistan, fighting for his international future.The knives are out for India's most successful captain after 48 runs at a miserable average of 9.66 in the drawn Test series, including 2 and 1 in the shambolic third Test in Bangalore.
The Indian public has long tolerated the left-hander's technical frailties. But with the team now under-performing at home and the continued rise of Rahul Dravid, Saurav must surely sense that his days as a player and captain could be numbered. That's unless he can quickly re-find his renowned timing with the bat – a substantial challenge against a buoyant Pakistani squad who are a better one-day unit than Test side and had won their last four ODIs against India going into the series opener in Kochi.
The Indian public has long tolerated the left-hander's technical frailties. But with the team now under-performing at home and the continued rise of Rahul Dravid, Saurav must surely sense that his days as a player and captain could be numbered. That's unless he can quickly re-find his renowned timing with the bat – a substantial challenge against a buoyant Pakistani squad who are a better one-day unit than Test side and had won their last four ODIs against India going into the series opener in Kochi.
It will be even more difficult with Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq publicly announcing that he will target his rival skipper. "I want to capitalise on the pressure," Inzamam said. "We want to ensure (Ganguly) struggles in the one-dayers too. "There will be no sympathy for him."
How quickly fortunes have changed. Before the Test series, Inzy was the one being scrutinised after Pakistan's disappointing tour of Australia.
But, with 401 runs at an average of 80.20, the right-hander led by example as the underdog Pakistanis turned around the Test series. Ganguly, on the other hand, was lacking in confidence at the crease and seemed a pale shadow of the batsman who brazenly defied the Australian attack in Brisbane 16 months ago – his last international century.
His career Test average is down to 40.90 – 33.84 in his last 10 Test matches – and that includes two half centuries against the easybeats of Bangladesh. In his last 10 ODIs, Saurav has averaged a slightly healthier 35.80 – compared to 41.74 in 267 career matches.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott, who famously nicknamed Ganguly "The Prince of Calcutta", agrees that the one-day series could make-or-break the India skipper.
How quickly fortunes have changed. Before the Test series, Inzy was the one being scrutinised after Pakistan's disappointing tour of Australia.
But, with 401 runs at an average of 80.20, the right-hander led by example as the underdog Pakistanis turned around the Test series. Ganguly, on the other hand, was lacking in confidence at the crease and seemed a pale shadow of the batsman who brazenly defied the Australian attack in Brisbane 16 months ago – his last international century.
His career Test average is down to 40.90 – 33.84 in his last 10 Test matches – and that includes two half centuries against the easybeats of Bangladesh. In his last 10 ODIs, Saurav has averaged a slightly healthier 35.80 – compared to 41.74 in 267 career matches.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott, who famously nicknamed Ganguly "The Prince of Calcutta", agrees that the one-day series could make-or-break the India skipper.
