An expected move, but a bold one

Sourav Ganguly: end of his reign as Indian captain © Getty Images

As coronations go, this one had a sense of inevitability. Sourav Ganguly's time as captain of India was up, and a decision that was probably five months overdue was finally taken to end his five-year reign. It was an expected move, especially with the recent success that Rahul Dravid has tasted as one-day captain, but, considering the complex formulae that govern Indian cricket, it has to be termed a bold one.

It is no secret that the selection committee was divided on the issue, partly because of the pressures being exerted from the corridors of power. Looking purely at the scorelines, Ganguly has a fair case: India have lost just one Test series in the last two years, and that too against an Australian side that will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest in history. But nobody can deny that India have slid several notches after the glorious summer of 2003-04, when they drew in Australia and tamed Pakistan away, with the team often looking rusty and tired. Ganguly's own form, despite him reminding you that he has a hundred in his penultimate innings, has been on the wane and it was tough to imagine him propelling the team forward when his batting form was going several steps back.

And once Dravid showed what he could do at the helm when appointed for an extended period, the decision should have been a no-brainer. India have shown a renewed vigour in recent weeks and there have been plenty of positives even in defeat. Dravid managed to do pretty much what Ganguly did in 2000. Several players lifted their games, including a few known for being problematic characters, and showed their worth when utilised for different roles. Players spoke about Dravid's impact and his golden run with the bat, along with a religious approach to match preparation, could have only helped him lead from the front. Captaining in a Test is a different ball game altogether but there was no way Dravid could have been denied a chance.

The Ganguly era couldn't go on for ever but for the magical moments it provided us, it definitely deserved a more memorable end. In the last few weeks, the Ganguly saga has gone from tragic to romantic to tragic to comical to plain desperate. An elbow injury that proved the last straw with regard to one-day captaincy, forced him out of the start of the Sri Lanka series; a triumphant hundred stirred hope; a pair of ducks dented his chances before a few teary-eyed interviews tried to invoke sympathy. Even Kapil Dev had had enough. While speaking to reporters in Kolkata yesterday he said, "I like Sourav's arrogance. I don't like him begging for a place. He should stand tall and perform consistently to get back into the team. That is the Sourav Ganguly I know."

It was the Sourav Ganguly we knew as well. The fiercely passionate, scrappy, abrasive and proud Sourav Ganguly. The same man who repeatedly kept Steve Waugh waiting for the toss. Yes, the same man who bared his chest at the Lord's balcony and enacted a war dance. How he was reduced to such desperation, leading him to make statements like, "I don't know what I have done to deserve this", and "I have taken 14 to 15 wickets in the Duleep Trophy" (when he has taken 9), one can only lament. How the selectors were forced to gradually nudge him out of office, when his contribution deserved a grand and heroic farewell, one can only ponder.

What will probably worry Ganguly more is what Kiran More, the chairman of selectors, said today: "Sourav has not performed that well. We do acknowledge that he scored a century against Zimbabwe. But we are not very happy with his performance during the last two to three years" Neither Yuvraj Singh nor Mohammad Kaif was included in the Board President's XI squad, to take on the Sri Lankans in a warm-up game, and the signs are clear that both may find a place in the Test squad. Despite his claims of scoring a hundred two Tests back, it's tough to imagine where Ganguly will fit in the jigsaw and if he's not included in the squad that, as they say, may be that.