'Just one last thing, lads'

Mid way through a routine press conference at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Sourav Ganguly was asked whether he felt most of the speculation over the future of India's seniors was focused on him. "It has been, unfortunately," he said. "I've felt it but that's the way it is. I think I've achieved enough in this sport. Hopefully I'll live with it and the day I can't, I'll go."

That was one of the few clues he offered to the dramatic announcement he would make a few minutes later. Ganguly patiently answered all questions put to him on topics ranging from what he thought about "voluntary retirement schemes" - the pensioning off of India's Fab Five - to whether he had indeed received threats to kidnap his daughter. Only after the media manager had called time on the press conference, and the silence gave way to the bustle of reporters collecting their recorders, did Ganguly deliver his killer line. "Just one last thing, lads", he said, before announcing his impending retirement.

The delivery, coming from a man who wore his heart on his sleeve - or on his bare chest, as at Lord's in 2002 - was so dead-pan that it was startling. Four crisp, short sentences and, by the time their significance had sunk in, and before anyone could even contemplate applauding, he had disappeared.

In hindsight, though, there were other signs if you could read them. Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, was at the Chinnaswamy Stadium while the Indians practised and he chatted with several players. While talking with Ganguly, he put a friendly arm around the shoulder, offering encouragement for the challenge ahead or perhaps congratulating him on an accomplished career. Srikkanth later said Ganguly had told him of the decision to retire on the ground.

After the training session Ganguly continued his practice indoors and stayed there for half an hour. He was the last to return to the dressing room, where he possibly broke the news to his team-mates.

All this time it wasn't clear who would come to speak to the media. The reporters had assembled at 3.30 pm, the tentative time for the press conference, but were kept waiting for over a half hour. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise, though, when Ganguly walked in - he's kept far more important people waiting.

The line of questioning that followed was inevitable, given the speculation surrounding India's seniors and especially Ganguly, since the India's return from Sri Lanka. Yet he answered questions with grace and humour, as he did a year ago after scoring his maiden double-century in Bangalore. At that time he had refused to comment on the turbulent Greg Chappell phase, preferring to let bygones be bygones, and today he responded calmly to questions concerning his non-selection and VRS schemes. When asked for his thoughts on Matthew Hayden's comments about Indian bowlers firing him up, Ganguly said he reckoned that a batsman with 30 Test centuries would be fired up by anyone.

The session had gone on for about 15 minutes, longer than the average press conference, before Ganguly's announcement, which recalled Brian Lara's bombshell during the 2007 World Cup when he said "If this is the last question, I'd like to say that I'll be bidding goodbye to international cricket on Saturday."

If Ganguly plays through the series, his swan song will be at Nagpur, where, four years ago, he drove the first nail into his own captaincy by citing injury and pulling out of the Test against Australia. India were thrashed on a green top in that match to go 2-0 behind in the series. Ganguly has one opportunity left to settle the score.