Sourav Ganguly Returns in Style

Sourav Ganguly Returns in Style
By ICF Staff - December 8 2006

Two days after arriving

in South Africa, Sourav Ganguly has made a statement of intent in his comeback match, a warmup game against Rest of South Africa.
Both openers, Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag, were out for duck after Rest of South Africa won the toss and put the Indians in.Sachin Tendulkar didn't last for long either, succumbing for 10 to the up-and-coming fast bowler Morne Morkel who is on the fringes of selection for South Africa, bringing a jet-lagged Sourav Ganguly to the crease at 37/3.VVS Laxman gave Ganguly some company, but he was sent back soon enough, another victim to the impressive Morkel. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was out in the single digits to the same bowler shortly thereafter.Through it all, Ganguly was rock-steady, solid in defense and impressive in offense. With Irfan Pathan providing much-needed support at the other end, the ex-captain brought some respectability to the Indian score, which ended at 316/7 at the end of the day. Ganguly's inspirational 83, as well as Pathan's ton and Harbhajan's entertaining 47, brought some life back into the Indian innings after the rest of the top and middle order failed yet again.One hopes that Greg Chappell will learn from Ganguly's and Zaheer Khan's performance on this tour. He had continued to push back against the selection of both of these players, even for this tour, but Dilip Vengsarkar overruled him and Indian cricket is better off for it.