Like for Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, the Challenger trophy in Chennai is also significant for Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Hemang Badani to attempt a comeback to the big league
Anand Vasu in Chennai30-Sep-2006
Sourav Ganguly will have yet another chance to be back in the reckoning © Getty Images
For some people, it has never been in sharper focus that cricket is aone-ball game. Sourav Ganguly has one Challenger Trophy to create the kindof sensation and spectacle that will force a change in fortunes and launch him back into the Indian one-day team. It’s still a long shot, butthe middle-order is far from settled – and performances in the last twoone-day series have left the door ajar – though not quite wide open. There is immense pressure that Ganguly step on to the field as the day before the tournament indicated.Although his team play their first match only on Monday, he was the firstplayer to arrive for practice on Saturday. As he walked out the smallclusters of onlookers gathered in the stands, the net bowlers, and even someof the ground staff broke into spontaneous applause and shouts cheeringhim. He settled down and had a long net, and looked confident enough,playing some of his trademark lofted drives. A few balls did go off thebat, but that tends to happen when you bat for 45 minutes in the nets asGanguly did.The second man to whom this Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophyassumes far bigger proportions than just any domestic one-day tournamentis Zaheer Khan. After being initially dropped from the team, reportedly due to his attitude, he forced his way back for thePakistan tour with a strong showing in domestic cricket. Now, he’s donethe same, picking up 78 wickets from 16 matches for Worcestershire in theCounty Championships.To a lesser degree the tournament is also significant for Ashish Nehra,Lakshmipathy Balaji and Hemang Badani. With Irfan Pathan struggling toregain his form of old, there’s bound to be a few people looking closelyat the fast-bowling options at hand, and if they’re fully fit, bothBalaji, with his ability to swing the ball, and Nehra, with his bounce andsharpish pace, could be welcome additions to the side. Badani has been outof the side now for ages, but the comeback of Dinesh Mongia is enough toraise hopes of one more shot at the big league.What gives the tournament the extra edge is the fact that almost allmembers of the Mohammad Kaif-led India Green, believe they should beplaying for India, and most have done so at various junctures. It is thisteam that will give India Blue, the main team, a serious run for itsmoney. With a batting line-up that includes Ganguly, VVS Laxman andBadani, Parthiv Patel behind the stumps, and Nehra and Balaji in thebowling side of things, they could easily pull off an upset.For the members of the Red team, led by Y Venugopala Rao, the outing is achance to signal that they too are around. There are a number of cricketerswho are being spoken of with regard by people in the know, and theseinclude Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai batsman, TP Singh from Railways, C Raghuof Karnataka, who bats in the middle-order and bowls offbreaks, and SBadrinath, an energetic batsman and fielder.There has been the odd shower in the past few days, but that is notunusual for the time of the year. The MA Chidambaram Stadium, however, isin good condition to deal with the rain, if it’s only a matter of apassing shower. The outfield has been redone specifically with the aim ofimproving drainage, and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association officials wereconfident that, barring a deluge, the tournament should progress withoutmajor disruption. If anything, the heat will be a factor, which makes bothplaying in the first half, in the baking heat, and under lights indraining humidity, a tough ask.