Boycott puts Ganguly through his paces

One may not admire his batting against true fast bowling, but one can never complain that he is reluctant to take tips from former cricketers. Whether he will be able to execute those tips on the field is another question altogether.

Twenty-four hours before the second Test Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, was seen in Geoffrey Boycott's room with Sumit, the Indian touring team's video-analyst. They were carrying the video-cassette of the third day's play at the Bourda Oval, Guyana. No prizes for guessing that Ganguly was seeking advice from one of the finest of openers.

And for his Prince of Kolkata, of course, Boycott had plenty of time. As the screen began to show how Ganguly got out, the Yorkshireman remarked, "See, you are moving your feet twice before playing the ball. First it is the back foot, then the front. That is why, while facing the ball, your body weight is being divided into two and keeping you in a locked position from where you can't execute even the simplest of strokes."

So saying, he showed how to shadow and keep the body weight in one of his legs. "You have to do it whenever you get time. The world now knows that you are not comfortable against the lifting delivery. If you want to be one of the best batsmen, you have to practice more," said Boycott. "What I showed you, try to do that in the nets. Concentrate hard on the wicket. Say to yourself that you are not going to gift your wicket. Prepare yourself mentally to play big innings. It can't happen overnight. Maybe you will need one or two more Tests, but keep on trying.

Boycott did not tone down his usual bluntness in advising the beleaguered Indian skipper. "Frankly speaking, the way your feet were moving in Guyana, I was not sure whether you had practiced hard before coming to this tour. I simply can't think that someone can come to tour the Caribbean without solid homework."

When the Indian captain was about to leave the room, his biggest supporter said, "It would be better if you don't go in at number three now. Go in at five. First prepare yourself for that spot and then go back to the one drop. This is your side. If the skipper looks shattered, it does not go well with the body language of the team. So to win this series, you've to bat confidently."

When Ganguly had left the room, this correspondent asked whether he would continue to bat at number three. Ganguly said, "He said so and he had his logic. I could not bat well in the first Test, while Dravid saved the match for us. But I am still thinking. One thing I can assure you is that whether I go in at three or five, I'll score runs in this tour. Definitely".

Ganguly sounded confident, but it remains to be seen whether that confidence will be enough to garner him runs on this tour.