OWN CORRESPONDENT, Bombay | Monday 2.00pm
INDIA’S new cricket captain Sourav Ganguly admitted on Monday he had no immediate cure for the nation’s dwindling fortunes, and urged fans to have patience.
“I don’t have a magic wand,” the stylish left-hander told reporters. “A captain is, after all, as good as the team under him. “The only thing I can promise is that I will do my best. I urge fans to have patience.”
Ganguly takes over from master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who voluntarily decided to step down after the coming second and final Test against South Africa in Bangalore.
Ganguly will lead India in the five-match one-day series against the tourists, besides the three-nation tournament in Sharjah against Pakistan and South Africa from March 22.
A longer reign is assured for the 27-year-old since his closest rival, Ajay Jadeja, is battling poor form and has not found a place in the team for the second Test.
Indian cricket is reeling from a string of recent defeats, the most glaring being the three-day loss to South Africa in the first Test at Bombay last week.
That defeat came on the heels of their disastrous two-month tour of Australia, where India were blanked 3-0 in the Test series and lost seven of the eight one-dayers.