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Ganguly recall hinges on Inzamam fitness

Sourav Ganguly is likely to make a comeback in the final Test at Karachi, after missing out at Faisalabad

Cricinfo staff
28-Jan-2006


Inzamam-ul-Haq: his participation could change everything © Getty Images
Sourav Ganguly is likely to make a comeback in the final Test at Karachi, after missing out at Faisalabad, it has been learnt. Ganguly may be recalled in place of Harbhajan Singh if the pitch retains a grassy look, while India are set to go in with only four specialist bowlers unlike the five at Faisalabad.
However, everything is expected to hinge on the fitness of Pakistan's captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq. If he is forced to sit out of the match with a bad back, sources close to the Indian team management are anticipating that some of the grass that currently remains on the wicket will be shaved off. In that case, India may be forced to include five bowlers to combat the vagaries of a more benign pitch.
Rahul Dravid announced a 13-man squad in the pre-match press conference with Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer and Parthiv Patel not included. Harbhajan, who went wicketless at Faisalabad, was expected to struggle to find a place and the final bowling slot may be a toss-up between Ajit Agarkar, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury, and Zaheer Khan.