Any talk about life coming full circle and cricketers polarising opinions, and Sourav Ganguly immediately emerges as a cliched example. But, the axioms notwithstanding, it is time again to discuss what has easily become the favourite topic ahead of many selection committee meetings — will Ganguly make it?

With the selectors dropping him from the Rest of India squad in the Irani Cup, it had led us to believe that Ganguly’s still-flickering career was as good as over. The other seniors were also in the firing line, and we were told Ganguly’s head had come under the guillotine first.

The new selection committee, however, may have other plans. If not anything, they at least intend to accord Ganguly the same privileges that will most likely be bestowed upon the other members of the so-called Fab Five. The argument: If Rahul Dravid, with 1148 runs in the last 19 Tests at an average of 35 and VVS Laxman, with 1136 in 17 Tests at an average of 50, deserve a place in the Test squad against Aussies, then so does Ganguly, who has 1565 runs against his name in the last 19 Tests at an average of 58. In the case of Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 1287 runs in 16 Tests at an average of 54, a new-appointed selector asks: “What if Sachin doesn’t retain full fitness for the entire series? Where’s the back-up?”

Experience counts

The Indian Express spoke to members of the new committee on Tuesday and none of them were ready to come on record about Ganguly’s fate. But three of the five did confirm off the record that they were in favour of giving him a run at the Aussies. “Isn’t he the Asian Test cricketer of the year?” reasoned one of them.

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