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Ganguly caught between form and fitness

10/5/2005

NEW DELHI, Oct 4 (AFP): A tennis elbow injury threatens to ruin beleaguered India captain Sourav Ganguly's hopes of regaining batting form ahead of a busy international schedule, media reports said Tuesday.
The injury, similar to the one suffered by star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, may force Ganguly to skip a major domestic tournament next week which is a selection trial for the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka from October 25.
Ganguly was due to lead Indian Seniors in the three-team Challenger one-day series in Mohali from October 10-13.
"It is uncertain whether he will actually play," the Times of India said. "He is yet to confirm his participation, and obvisouly, the tennis elbow-if it is that at all-is to blame."
The injury came at the wrong time for Ganguly, struggling to retain the captaincy as well as his place in the side.
Tendulkar missed tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and the International Cricket Council's Super Series in Australia after a surgery on his left elbow in May. He has, however, been declared fit to play the Mohali tournament.
Ganguly has been in the eye of storm because of his dipping form and spat with coach Greg Chappell.
The Indian captain claimed on the recent tour of Zimbabwe that he had been asked to step down by the coach.
Their relationship soured when Chappell said in an e-mail to the Indian board that the captain was unfit the lead the side, forcing the cricketing chiefs to broker a truce between the two.
It appears to be a temporary respite for the captain, who is under pressure to prove his form.