The Hindu : Sport : Ganguly must be backed or sacked

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 17, 2005

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Sport

Ganguly must be backed or sacked

According to the Australians, Laxman is a magnificent batsman who rises to challenges and responds to responsibility

Peter Roebuck

A man must beware his own prejudices. Otherwise the same deed can be interpreted in different ways. V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly scored centuries in the Test match in Bulawayo. A danger arises that they may provoke different reactions.

My opinion about Laxman has not changed from the day he belaboured the Australian attack in Sydney. In those days, the Australians could bowl. His name ought to be written down before the selectors start thinking about their side. It is a strength of the current Indian team that the same can be said about another seven or eight players. Over the last few seasons the Indian team has changed only at the fringes.

As far as the Australians are concerned, Laxman is a magnificent batsman who rises to challenges and responds to responsibility. Perhaps, it is part of the Australians' arrogance that players who succeed against them are highly regarded and those who fail are dismissed as duds. As a rule of thumb, though, it has worked well over the years.

Classy knocks

Laxman also played a decisive innings on the dust bowl in Wankhede and his contribution in Kolkata in 2001 wasn't too bad either! These were innings mighty of conception and superb of execution. Laxman is not some corporal running around cursing troops. He is a general, intent on winning wars. India might be able to find more reliable batsmen but none likelier to overcome powerful opponents.

Admittedly Laxman has limitations in limited-overs cricket but that's like claiming a singer is no good because he misses a few notes in his bath. If his fielding and running between the wickets are not up to scratch then omit him from the one-day side. It's not complicated. Justin Langer does not play in the Australian ODI outfit. If India has six better Test batsmen than the Hyderabadi then my name is Virender.

Laxman's hundred against Zimbabwe, though, proves precious little. Bulawayo is a batsman's pitch and the bowling reflected an ailing country's famed but fading hospitality. As it happens, I coached several of the Zimbabweans as schoolboys and a few of them seemed to have the wherewithal to play Test cricket.

Totally meaningless

Although Ganguly's hundred was scored under pressure, it was no more significant than Laxman's century or Dravid's 77. These efforts are collated by statisticians and recorded in the history books, but in cricketing terms they are almost entirely meaningless.

Ganguly occupied the crease, worked hard and batted with the utmost determination but any batsmen with a pinch of salt could have reached three figures in these circumstances.

Likewise, the cases for and against Ganguly remain untouched. India ought to be grateful for the contribution the Bengali has made to its cricket.

His deeds have been documented often enough, his fearlessness against all comers, the humorous way he upset the Australians, the magnificent captain's innings in Brisbane, his successful and drawn campaigns against Australia, and the way he took his side to the World Cup final. Assisted by young or intelligent players, he has helped to restore the reputation of Indian cricket and has given a nation the team it deserves.

However, that does not mean that he has the freedom of the city. Nothing lasts forever. Ganguly's failures against Australia and Pakistan are black marks against his name. His inability to inspire his players also counts against him.

He fields badly, runs poorly between the wickets and, crucially, puts his mid-off in the wrong place. His time is up. But it is gutless to ask him to stand down. Strong management is needed. Ganguly must be backed or sacked.

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