Ganguly looks to flex muscles

Two years later Ganguly began his career as India’s captain here, but till date that match against South Africa is remembered for being ‘fixed’. And the last time India played here they were beaten fair and square by Zimbabwe. Hence, Ganguly certainly has more than one score to settle when he takes the Indian team out for the first of the six one-day matches against Pakistan.

The Test series finished level at 1-1, but Pakistan emerged moral victors. What’s more in the last four one-day games between India has lost to Pakistan every single time, so it is advantage all the way for the tourists.

Ganguly though insists its a new beginning. Indeed if anything he is banking on the ‘‘happy memories’’ from the earlier matches to carry India and himself through this time around.

‘‘It has always been a good ground for India. We have always played well here,’’ said Ganguly today.

And it seems for once Ganguly’s hunch might come true this time around especially with regards to his form which has deserted him atleast in the Test matches. Though in the one-day games last year, Ganguly was the only batsman who was consistent in the batting with his form.

‘‘It is important for me as a captain to score some runs. I need to hit the ball for as captain I have to perform with the bat as well,’’ Ganguly declared.

What could help is the pitch here at the Nehru Stadium which is always full of runs and even 300 is never a safe total as Ganguly & Co themselves proved in the second match here.

Pitch curator G Kasturirangan’s words that the the nature of the pitch was still the same, would probably provide some assurance to Ganguly looking to come back to some form, .‘‘It is one of the best one-day pitches in the country and there will be a lot of runs scores here,’’ said Kasturirangan.

But Ganguly would not just make a comment yet on the nature of the pitch. In many ways Ganguly is right for there has been no game at this ground international or domestic since the last time India played Zimbabwe.

Hence, a day before the game both teams had not decided on their final XI. The heat, humidity and the nature of the pitch weighing very heavy on both camps.

In what could be good news for Ganguly’s boys, Younis Khan, the man who was India’s nemesis in the Test matches, is almost certainly out of the first match as he is down with a viral fever. But Ganguly remains prepared all the same because as he said it will be a new start to a new series.

‘‘It will be very close and there will be some very good games.’’ No one would complain about that.

Time for turnaround

Sourav Ganguly remains India’s best bet in one-day cricket. As he nears the 10,000 run mark in the shorter version of the game, the Indian captain enters the one-day series against Pakistan with a lot at stake. In 2004 when India’s one-day game took bit of a beating, Ganguly was one of the few who was actually in form. Though he ended with close to 1000 runs from 31 games, Ganguly never hit one of those big trademark hundreds. This is the time for redemption.

THE DANGERMEN

Virender Sehwag & Sachin Tendulkar
One is in the form of his life and the other has seen better days. If this partnership works, then it would become easier for the likes of Sourav to play themselves into some kind of form. The slog would also become easier because the likes of Kaif and Yuvraj have not played any cricket for about a month.

Shoaib Malik & Shahid Afridi
Though Malik cannot bowl because his action is still under scrutiny but he has repeatedly worried the Indians with his batting. Afridi has just come off an outstanding performance in the Bangalore Test and that spells trouble for the Indians.