Ganguly likely to be recalled

A combination of factors, not least the dismal performance of the Indian team in South Africa in the ongoing one-day series, has led to a strong possibility that former captain Sourav Ganguly might get a recall for the three-Test series to follow when the national selectors meet in Delhi on Thursday.

The meeting has been shifted from Mumbai to Delhi and will be convened at 11:30 am.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar may want to meet the selectors before the meeting, Cricket Board's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said on Wednesday.

Equally important for the decision of the panel headed by Dilip Vengsarkar is the poor display by middle-order batsmen Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif and Dinesh Mongia in the absence of Yuvraj Singh and the finger injury sustained by captain Rahul Dravid which has ruled him out of action till at least the start of the Test rubber.

If and when he is recalled, the Bengal left-hander will be making a comeback after being left out by the previous Kiran More-led selection panel since the end of the series in Pakistan in January this year.

Though there have been intense speculations over Ganguly's expected recall, Vengsakar was non-committal on the matter and said all the players who have been doing well in domestic cricket were in the running.

"I can't say anything as I am yet to talk to the other selectors. We will be discussing various things when we meet, including the ideal combinations. All those who have been doing well in domestic cricket are in the running", the former India captain and veteran of 116 Tests told PTI on Wednesday.

Ganguly's past record in South Africa against all comers in ODIs, an average of 49 in 25 matches with five hundreds and two half-centuries to boot, and his utility as a bowler on seamer-friendly pitches could work to his advantage though Test cricket is a different kettle of fish.

Ganguly's record in five Tests that he has played in South Africa spread over two tours in 1996 and 2001 is not great, with 73 being his highest score, but he has had decent starts on four of these occasions.

His vast experience of 88 Tests would certainly work in his favour when the selectors meet and his expected recall would be a slap on the face of coach Greg Chappell, who has advocated the 'look for young' policy which seems to be coming unstuck since the 1-4 one-day loss in the West Indies.

Also to Ganguly's advantage has been his decent form in domestic cricket in which he has scored a century in Duleep Trophy (against eventual champions North Zone at Guwahati earlier this month) and came up with a good score of 43 in his last Ranji Trophy tie against Punjab, whose pacer V R V Singh is also in the running to find a place in the Test squad.

Ganguly is not amongst Chappell's favoured players after their public spat in September 2005, but the Indian coach's views could be diluted in the absence of anything concrete that has come about either from the team's point of view or from the younger batsmen he has backed.

Apart from Ganguly, who averages a healthy 40-plus with 12 tons in Test cricket, the recall of V V S Laxman is a foregone conclusion with the Hyderabad specialist already set to reach South Africa as emergency replacement for injured Dravid ahead of the Twenty20 international on December 1.

The squad would be heavy on experience if Ganguly makes it to the rainbow nation, but whether that alone would compensate for the Indian batsmen's long-time weakness against bounce and movement is debatable.

The selectors are also expected to induct a third opener in Delhi left-hander Gautam Gambhir, especially with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag having a horrendous run with the bat.

The men who are expected to return home at the end of the one-day series on December 3 are seamer Ajit Agarkar, no more in the picture for Test cricket unless Munaf Patel's ankle injury is serious enough to warrant his retention, and at least two from the younger lot of Mongia, Kaif and Raina.

Today's fourth one-day international is crucial for these three players who have looked out of depth and a good display in it could help in their retention in the Test squad.

Tamil Nadu's middle order batsman S Badrinath is also expected to be among those whose claims would be discussed, but may miss the bus ultimately as per indications.