Sourav Ganguly's in India's Test squad

Can. Of. Worms.

We heard a rumour about this yesterday, but we didn't think it was at all credible: Sourav Ganguly has been brought back into India's Test squad.

This is wrong. It really is. We've nothing against Ganguly, but the guy attracts extremes of emotion. Things were just starting to die down after he was axed as captain and subsequently dropped, but this is like filling a pan with napalm and putting it on the fire to simmer for a bit.

Plus he's kind of crap in Tests, or at least he had been for the last year or so in the national side. He's a more than decent one-day player, but even one-day selection would be a retrogressive step. India's hardly short of batting talent, even if their performances in their current series in South Africa haven't shown that. They just don't need him.

He performed badly in county cricket this season. We believe that he's made one hundred in Indian domestic cricket. All Ganguly's selection does is jab a huge, double-handed sword into an open, infected wound and wriggle it around a bit.

The other minus point is that we realised that we've always spelt his first name wrong, up until now. That makes us more upset than you might think.

Sourav Ganguly gets run out for 98

Running people out when they're nearly 100 should be outlawed. It's too cruel for words. They're lucky to be walking unaided at that age, never mind sprinting quick singles.

You know what we mean though. Sourav Ganguly must be pretty irritated by getting run out for 98 today, even if he played a major hand in an Indian victory and went a fair way to getting his name inked in at the top of the Indian order for the World Cup. Batsmen deal in hundreds and he was as good as there.

We're still a bit unsure about Ganguly being reinstated in the Test team, but one-day-wise we've no problems with his presence. He's obviously been motivated by his previous omissions and he seems to have come back a rejuvenated player and arguably a better bloke.

It's not his team any more, but he can still play a part. Particularly in the World Cup.

Virender Sehwag: Take note.

PS: If anyone can do better than the 'eat your own spit' insult from the comments on our previous Sourav Ganguly post, fire away.

Ganguly Watch part 3

Rahul Dravid was seen in 'heated discussion' with Ganguly yesterday. Being as Dravid has opened the batting, we can presume the conversation went something like this:

Ganguly: Rahul, go and get my bat. I want to practice.
Dravid: No. I'm captain now. You have to go and get my bat, if I ask.
Ganguly: How insolent. Do you know who I am?
Dravid: Yes. You're our number 11. Get my bat, Ganguly.

Then all the other India players gathered round, pointed at Ganguly and went 'aaaaaah' at him in that aggressive way that means 'the joke's on you, sir and we're enjoying it'. Then everyone high-fived Dravid.

Ganguly Watch Part 2

He's in. Ganguly's in. I think we've all learnt a valuable lesson here - namely, never try and second guess the India selectors.

On the downside, they've dropped Gautam Gambhir to accommodate him. If India were serious about finding a good opening partner for Virender Sehwag they would have played Gambhir or Wasim Jaffer, both of whom are younger and better than Ganguly.

Plus - and this is the part that really upsets us - this means that Dheeraj Jadhav is, at best, fifth choice as opener after Sehwag, Ganguly, Gambhir and Jaffer.

Everyone join with us in directing the most powerful weapon in the critic's armoury at the Indian selectors - the silent boo. Simply make the traditional booing motions, but make no sound.

Take that the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Take that.

The campaign to convince the whole of India that Dheeraj Jadhav is actually from Kolkata starts here.

The least Ganguly can do is grow his moustache back.

Ganguly Watch

India have arrived in Pakistan for their tour. For those that don’t really get the importance: Try and remember Ashes fever. Now imagine that England and Australia have been threatening to wage war on each other for fifty years. Multiply the populations of both countries by about twenty. Then imagine that everyone, but everyone, loves cricket more than anything else - Transformers included.

The ongoing story for India is the fate of former captain Saurav Ganguly who was unceremoniously dethroned as captain, then dropped, then reinstated as an all-rounder, then dropped and now back in the squad again.

We think that Greg Chappell is just bringing him along to make him carry the drinks. Greg Chappell can be mean.

Ganguly used to play for Lancashire, but nobody liked him and he was rubbish. Everyone much prefers it when Murali’s at Lancashire, because he’s happy ALL THE TIME. He’s our favourite Lancashire overseas player since Wasim Akram.