Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was discharged from a private nursing, on Sunday, where he was admitted for treatment of an abscess on his left thigh, but his return to cricketing action has been ruled out till November 1.
Ganguly has been ruled out for the November 1 triangular series match between India and Australia in Mumbai and doctors were unsure whether he would be fit enough to take the field by November 6.
Discharging the star cricketer after an eight-day stay in the nursing home, doctors said they had set a "realistic target" of making Ganguly fit for the November 6-game in Cuttack against New Zealand, but kept their fingers crossed on whether the cricketer would be able to make it.
"I've been ruled out of the November one match. But I'm feeling much better now. And with the care I have got from the doctors here, I think I can return to onfield action shortly," Ganguly told reporters at the nursing home.
Ganguly, who missed the second Test against New Zealand last week following a minor surgery in Mohali for an abscess on his left upper thigh, was admitted to the nursing home at Kolkata on October 18 after complaining of excrutiating pain in the wound.
The Indian captain was initially ruled out of the first two matches of the ongoing triangular series.
"The day I took admission here, I did not think that I'll be walking home. I'm amazed at the way I've been handled and treated here," Ganguly, sporting a stubble and looking tired, said.
Ganguly, who had undergone a mini surgical procedure to clean the wound on the date of his admission, said he had taken the hospitalisation period in his stride at a time when India were engaged in tough on-field battles.
"I'm injured. That's part of life. I only wish that India win the games," Ganguly replied when asked how he felt at being out of action despite being the skipper of the team.
Asked when he hoped to start training, Ganguly said "As soon as the stitches are cut. I don't think that it will be much of a problem as I'm not physically weak."
Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, head of the six-member medical board formed to treat Ganguly, said the cricketer has been advised 10 day's rest.
"As you can see, Ganguly can now walk and also sit on a chair, but he cannot squat," he said.
The wound would be dressed at Ganguly's residence on October 26 and 28 and the seven stitches in the wound would be cut in a phased manner.
Dr Mrinmoy Nandy, the surgeon in the team, said the five superficial stiches would be cut first and a rehab programme would be started with the assistance of a physiotherapist from Thursday to ensure painless muscular contraction and relaxation.
"We have set a realistic target of making him fit before the November six match, but we are still not sure that we will succeed," Mukherjee said.
Hours before discharging the cricketer, the doctors took Ganguly to the operation theatre and dressed the wound.
Dr Susthir Bose, another member of the board, said Ganguly's recovery has been quicker than expected.
The medicines will continue for a few more days but Ganguly will not have to take any intravenous drugs.
"Only oral antibiotics will do".
Mukherjee said all through the treatment, Ganguly's attitude was "very positive".
"We are trying to bring him back to the field soon. But at the same time we won't overdo anything," he said.
The doctor also refused to answer a query on whether Ganguly's problem got worse because of the way the abscess was treated in Mohali.
"I'll reserve my comment on this. I had not seen the patient before he returned to Kolkata. So, I don't know his condition in Mohali", Mukherjee said.
