Where does Azharuddin belong? Here? Nowhere? Then where? If ever there is a loner in Indian cricket in recent memory, it is this wristy artiste from Hyderabad. Faridabad showed how much Azhar did not belong, hard as he tried to be part of the goings-on "� something which he was so much at pains to do during his stints as successful India skipper.
Even for the uninitiated "� one is not so much bothered by Indian cricketing politics and dressing-room dressing-downs as what was witnessed on the field at Faridabad --the manner in which Azhar went about trying to make himself conspicuous on the field to the powers that be could not be ignored.
One even ventured to ask Indian captain Ganguly about this, albeit in a roundabout manner. You seemed to be consulting with former captains a lot on the field today, Sourav?
Obviously, Ganguly appeared doing anything but discuss the situation at hand with Azhar, not even deeming it fit to inform him of his fielding position. The retort that came helped put things in right perspective.
It's always good to consult with former captains. What's wrong with that?
Sure. Till the query was put to him, the Indian skipper was calm and confidence personified in the face of a crowded Press conference. And then this retort.
Faridabad is a small ground, thus enabling eye-opening to be so much easier. Each time, the former Indian skipper chose to be a part of the impromptu think-tank that consulted to stop South Africa as the latter coasted to victory, he was shunned.
His ambling up, almost nonchalantly to the huddle, even broke up the vigorous consulting that went on between Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja and Sachin Tendulkar.
Suddenly, upon Azhar's arrival, the decision would have been reached and he despatched to long-on to stop the boundaries Lance Kluesner and Shaun Pollock were not hitting in his direction. It showed more about the possible chinks in the team harmony than their poor back-up bowling.
Already, Ganguly appeared more aggressive and determined than his predecessor could have ever been. And it was not in his classy treatment of the South African bowlers so for as his treatment of his former skipper that brought this aspect to the fore at Faridabad.
Sure, there must be bigger things at stake for the man. It did not seem anything was different from his days as skipper when he was hands-off boss and liked it that way. Only this time, it seemed that somebody else was calling the shots and calling correct.
Ganguly floundred, searching for an elusive fifth bowler at Faridabad. And in doing so, trying out solutions off limited bowling options, his treamtment of Azhauddin, who kept cropping up like an unwanted number at tambola, showed the divisions in the Indian cricket team. Surely, Azhardudin is the unwanted man in. And Ganguly wants it that way.
