Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ...

[Zooter]

... I really disliked his captaincy when India were in the doldrums a while back (and have no doubt--he was surely to blame)--but I never impuged his batting skills. I still don't think Ganguly should be anywhere near the Captaincy but for the Test team he definately should be called up and giving the exit that a winning Captain deserves. Remember how all of Australia kissed Waugh's a$$??? Sourav deserves that much as opposed to an ignoble exit that he was on the verge or getting and that SHOULD BE END OF THAT.

[jf1gp_1]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... atleast you didnt doubt his batting abilities. I didnt want him in the team forget as captain not even as a player but he is playing some inning. I know its just a side game but still he is sweating it out there and thats what matters.

[Inside_edge]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... This is fabulous! Grand stage. All eyes on him.Some prepared with'i told ya so' and some 'praying with anger' and he delivers! I always reckon him as an avg bat, but gotta admit this is truly very special. Cograts Saurav. Well done!!

[yoda]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... This is a warm up and he has warmed up. Now he has to deliver just like the others in the real tests. I never thought he should have been dropped from the test team in the first place. Now that he is back, we need all the runs anyone can give us. It will be tough for all.

[Raj]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... Yep, i'm hoping he delivers in the test series... he is more than capable...

[talksport]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... Ganguly is crap in Test Matches He is given a chance if he can improve which he doesnt deserve. Dont be fooled in warmup games.

[Rahul]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ...

... I really disliked his captaincy when India were in the doldrums a while back (and have no doubt--he was surely to blame)--but I never impuged his batting skills. I still don't think Ganguly should be anywhere near the Captaincy but for the Test team he definately should be called up and giving the exit that a winning Captain deserves. Remember how all of Australia kissed Waugh's a$$??? Sourav deserves that much as opposed to an ignoble exit that he was on the verge or getting and that SHOULD BE END OF THAT.

I think Oz kissed SRW's arse, cos he was a world-beater--a World Cup, top of the Tests, batted with a limp leg and scored tons, etc etc. Take away his chest-exposure, and I dont think SCG comes anywhere close. take it easy, R

[Rajiv]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... How important this game must be for Gangs? He must have concentrated immensely with crossed fingers Now, if he can carry this on in the real test matches ..and rest of the top order ..are they on drugs

[Rahul]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... ^^ yeah, they found a cheap deal with Actor's hakim and Asif's charsi chamcha in karachi. :hic: :hic: :hic: take it easy, R

[Rajiv]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... Come to think of it, the DO look charsi hehe, like those standing near gateway of india

[Anakin]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... Well done DADA

[Rahul]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... ^^ or near Fort (towards the Ballard Estate area). take it easy, R

[King Tendulkar]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... No one deserves a swansong. Players should be picked on merit. He should have had his swansong 3/4 years ago when he should have been dropped. Its his own fault that he carried on when he should have stepped down thus he deserves no swansong.

[veer]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... Zooter.. I think you got it wrong.. he was better captain but crappy batsman.. he took everything for granted at the end of wright's regime.. now that he is back after getting booted, he looks more hungrier just like zakky..

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... I can see at least many nay-sayers borde-line haters have brought them to express some left handed compliment.. And yes u can have opinion and as they say everyone has got one but Dada's most vital aspect is his man-managemtn leadership skill and team he doesn;t have the best report card of all the captain past present may be even future just for nothing. He is was and will remain India's best captain and gem of a batsman. Whet ur appetite folks succession of humble piewill be delivered to ur door-steps pretty soon. This was just an appetizer.

[DesiChap]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... "Form is temporary, class is permanent" Hopefully this is a turnaround for Dada. We will need him in this series and the World Cup.

[Zooter]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ...

I think Oz kissed SRW's arse, cos he was a world-beater--a World Cup, top of the Tests, batted with a limp leg and scored tons, etc etc. Take away his chest-exposure, and I dont think SCG comes anywhere close. take it easy, R

Hi Crazyhorse!!! Never likened Ganguly to Waugh--16 straight wins; top of the ODI and Test rankings, etc. It's just that right after a drawn series and a losing Border-Gavaskar battle, Waugh was still felicited. I still believe Ganguly deserved to be dropped. But, his exit shouldn't have been made ignoble--the good stuff should be remembered not the bad. You think history will be allowed to judge Shane Warne on his numbers AND his illegal drug use?? Trust me, one of those will be quietly swept under the rug.

Zooter.. I think you got it wrong.. he was better captain but crappy batsman.. he took everything for granted at the end of wright's regime..

Nah--he was always a masterclass with the bat. He was actually a mediocre Captain in every sense of the word except for the wonderful way in which he was able to raise team morale in the majority of the team (not everyone liked his ways but they sucked it up). In his biggest achievement in the Test arena--the 2001 B-G Series, he actually waited WAY TOO LONG to declare. When I saw that test I thought he actually wanted to draw. If you recall--he didn't send in Australia until lunch on the 5th day after putting up 650. The right thing would have been to stop at 600 or less on the 4th day and give Bhajji et. al. enough time to bowl out Aus. (Somehow Bhajji still managed to get it done with very little time). He pulled the same thing in Aus. (even though we did get a respectable draw) in the last match when the declaration should have come in the 4th day again instead of having Aus. chase 450 or whatever it was. And the watershed moment for me (for tests): when Pak. toured India they managed to get a draw in that first test (with an amazing partnership b/w Razzak and Kamran Akmal) because Ganguly NEVER ATTACKED--his trademark style. Unless I'm going crazy in my old age--I think I even remember Kumble and Ganguly fighting (?) because Ganguly wasn't providing Kumble with the field he wanted. And again ... in that third test ... when every single Indian batsman defended almost every single ball and made Afridi look like some kind of God. All Ganguly had to do was tell the team to play their shots and that final day could have been negotiated safely. And the less I say about ODIs, the better. How's this for a quick list: -- forcing Dravid to keep even though he himself never wanted to do so and thus, playing 7 batsmen -- playing Kumble even though he had proven himself to be a poor/mediocre ODI bowler -- playing Laxman after the facts had been established that he was incapable of getting singles, never rotated the strike, was a extremely poor fielder -- NEVER WON AN ODI series or tournament except for 3: the memorable Pakistan tour in 2004, Natwest series against England in 2002, and against the Windies in 2002. But the World Cup and sharing of the Champions Trophy with Lanka do get special mention. That's 22--count them--22 tournaments or series in which he was the Captain and we lost! And people are already calling for Dravid's head ... puhlese. In any case, my position is one where Ganguly deserves a Test spot without a Captaincy role but no place in the ODI team unless something goes horribly wrong (like 2 seniors get injured at the same time) and we have no options left.

[Dhondy]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... What a cracker of a post, Zooter! Well researched and well written. I share so many of your thoughts!

[Guest BossBhai]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... -- Removed on request of the user --

[veer]

Re: Ganguly Deserves A Swansong ... I would still prefer ganguly over dravid as a captain.. I have never been so much disappointed in team selection as in last year.... i am not faulting dravid.. but its not in his personality to lead people.. he is the best trooper but he cant lead.. incident against waugh by coming late to toss was super stuff.. on other hand dravid did nothing against inzi when he and others blocking player to throw them out.. when actor and fridi was bad mouthing our players, if ganguly was captain he would have done something to shut them up.. karachi tests dravid sacrificed himself by coming out as opener.. which lead to debacle in tests.. so again good guy but bad camptain.. my stand is.. ganguly was better captain and dravid was/is better batsman, teamman