Will the Prince charm us again ?

"Who would have thought I would ever make it here after all that has happened?" Capriati said afterwards.

"Maybe dreams can come true."

This is what Jennifer Capriati, the US tennis star had to say after winning the 2000 Australian Open, in what has been touted as one of the best ever comebacks in International sport. There is one man in India who could gain a lot of heart from this story. As Saurav Ganguly has been dumped to seclusion by events that not only demoralised the person but also Indian cricket in general, is he the man Dravid and Co are looking back to, for answers to their top-order woes ? Several scoops in the media seem to tow that line !

Even though India has been performing consistently and winning matches, the top 3 or 4 have not been much of noted contributors. India has been struggling with batsmen getting in and once they looked secure and safe at the wicket, a rash shot follows and they end up taking the long walk back to the pavillion. This rot needs to be sorted out as soon as possible and the answer lies in the selectors and the team management's hands. In an interview to CNN-IBN, Dravid catagorically stated that the lid has not yet been put on Ganguly's career, and if newspaper report in the DNA is to be believed, Ganguly might just get the nod in the immediate future (could be tomorrow when the team is selected for the rest of the ODIs or the upcoming West Indies tour). These angle of opinions that have lingered about for a while predicting Ganguly's comeback for quite sometime may finally get their due justification as constant failures from the likes of Gambhir and Sehwag has prompted the selectors to look eastwords.

The BCCI is strongly considering bringing back India's latest 'Forgotten Hero'. Call it coincidence or what ? Both of India's apparent heroes belong to Kolkata ! It is nothing short of a revelation that Ganguly's name was discussed in every selection meeting and his brief and frequent meetings with senior Board officials might just prove the much needed catalyst for his inclusion. For the records, Ganguly has not exactly set the domestic circuit on fire, but has certainly made meaningful contributions to help his side end up on the winning side. His aggregate of 203 from 5 matches at a healthy average of 50.75 is an additional incentive to move his inclusion and certainly satisfies the criteria of merit set by the team management. The ball is surely in Ganguly's court it seems. Will he be ready to put that extra yard of effort on the field and keep up to the standards set by the young brigade of Yuvraj, Raina and Kaif ? This is where he might lose out to youth. At 33, age is not doing him any good, but on pure form and quality, Ganguly should still haunt the selector's minds.

The demands of international sport is such that past experiences have to be forgiven if not forgotten. To an extent, there has been a great deal of exaggeration about the Ganguly episode and the war of words from both sides have not in anyway helped the cause. Besides, the media has chosen to up the tempo and gain more mileage by adding fuel to fire in this clash of minds. As a professional, one expects both Greg Chappell and Saurav Ganguly to bury their hatchets and get on with the job in hand. If Ganguly fulfils the requirement of any domestic cricketer pushing his claim in Team India, he should be given equal credence ! Having said that, if Ganguly's name indeed falls into the team squad sheet in the immediate future, he will have to take fresh guard at the crease and grab any opportunity with both hands.

With a lot of emphasis on youth these days, one somehow feels that experience tends to get submerged and with India going through a rough phase with respect to Sachin Tendulkar's injury and the woeful top order form, the selectors can do no wrong by looking upto the tried, tested and now 'Forgotten' man of Indian cricket to heal these wounds. Maybe the time has come for a change of heart, and a change that will keep the best interest of Indian cricket in mind, and restore the much needed experience among these bundles of youthful energy.

PS : This is not a personal change of heart, but a pragmatic amalgamation of facts and opinions. I still back Chappell in his methods and will continue to praise him for the good he has done so far with India, but at the same time, its my opinion that we cannot afford to miss out on experience at tough times and if we need someone to look up-to, its surely Saurav Ganguly. Maybe one can hope a fairy-tale ending to this unanswered saga of Indian cricket !