Ganguly downplays injury, keen
to play practice match

Ashish Shukla in East London

Despite a sore knee and a host of niggling issues, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly on Thurday said he was keen not to miss out on the four-day match against South Africa 'A' starting on Saturday.

Ganguly, who sustained the injury on his right knee when he was hit by a fast delivery from South African paceman Mornantau Hayward on the fourth morning of the first Test on Tuesday at Bloemfontein, said: "It (the knee) has improved...I really want to play this game."

The skipper postponed the x-ray to be done on the injured knee after physio Andrew Leipus advised against it. "I did not go for the x-ray as the physio said there was too much fluid in the knee and the x-ray could not have been done."

Fears that Ganguly may have fractured the knee were allayed after Leipus said "had there been a fracture, the knee would have bled."

Team Manager M K Bhargava, himself a medical practitioner, agreed. "I don't think he has a fracture. If it was so, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to walk," he said.

Ganguly, who was seen wobbling in the hotel lobby, said "the soreness is still there but swelling has subsided...there is less pain and I hope to be alright."

"I really want to play the four-day game," he reiterated adding his cancellation of Calcutta trip should serve the purpose.

Ironically, twice in this tour Hayward has been responsible for injuring the Indian skipper. In the tour opener at Randjesfontein against the Nicky Oppenheimer XI, Ganguly was hit on the right index finger by a lifter from Hayward and he not only missed the practice game against South Africa 'A' at Benoni but also looked a doubtful starter for the first one-day international of the Standard Bank triseries at Wanderers.

But Ganguly responded with vengeance smashing a hundred in the first one-dayer and the captain is hoping to reply in similar manner in the second Test.

Meanwhile, the team management has sought a replacement from the board for Sameer Dighe who is flying back home after being declared unfit for the tour following a pulled back muscle.

Though Bhargava was unwilling to commit himself on the choice of wicketkeeper the team has sought, sources indicated either veteran Baroda stumper Nayan Mongia or Haryana rookie Ajay Ratra would be called.

The team's arrival in this coastal town on Thursday was marked by rain fuelling their fears that even the second practice match could be washed off.

The South African 'A' side was also not without worries. There seem to be two changes in the side and a possible third one due to injuries.

Justin Ontong of Boland has a hamstring injury and his place in the team has been taken by Daryll Cullinan. It is a good opportunity for Cullinan to regain his place in the South African Test team after he missed out a few matches following an operation on his right knee.

Captain Heylton Ackerman, who has not recovered from his shoulder injury he sustained against Indians in a practice game at Benoni last month, has also been also ruled out. His place will be taken by KwaZulu Natal captain Dale Benkenstein.

Western Province left-arm pace bowler Charl Willoughby, who has a knee injury, is a doubtful starter and Eastern Province's Garnett Kruger has been kept as stand by.

PTI