Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who missed the Nagpur and Mumbai Tests against Australia due to a groin strain, turned out for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy Elite Division group league match against Karnataka in Kolkata on Sunday.
The surprising development came after Ganguly, whose name was not in the 16-member Bengal squad announced for the tie, sent an SMS to Bengal selector Pranab Roy expressing his desire to play in the match.
In a last minute decision, the Bengal selectors omitted Nikhil Haldipur and included Ganguly in the eleven, apparently to give him much-needed match practice ahead of India's one-dayer against Pakistan at Eden Gardens on November 13, being organised by BCCI as part of its Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
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He is scheduled to take a fitness test on November 10.
Meanwhile, sources said Mukherjee, who is now abroad, would examine Ganguly on November 9.