Centuries, centuries, centuries; like a hawk tailing its prey, deposed India captain Sourav Ganguly now has only one thing in sight -- hitting up as many hundreds as he can in the upcoming domestic matches.
Many believe even that might not be enough for him to regain his place in Team India, but Ganguly isn't giving up just yet.
When the selectors overlooked him for the inaugural two ODIs versus Sri Lanka, the first thing Ganguly did was bringing out his kitbag and practicing at the nets. Since then, he has sweated it out everyday at the gym, at the nets -- spending almost three hours every session.
His coaches and practice mates said he has never looked in better shape and he's never timed the ball more sweetly. The sparkling 117 in Rajkot against North Zone in Duleep Trophy was, perhaps, testimony to that.
So, on Friday when he was once again left out for the third, fourth and fifth ODIs against Sri Lanka, it would have been natural for him to get distressed and maybe lose hope.
Instead, the omission has steeled him. He will now spend more hours at the nets.
Even though he hasn't given an official reaction,
his close circles say Ganguly's resolve has strengthened further.
Someone asked him, "If they continue to ignore you?" Prompt came the reply, "Then I will keep scoring centuries in domestic matches."
His next opportunity to come good on his comment is on November 4 in the Duleep Trophy match in Mumbai.
His friends say Ganguly wasn't as surprised by his omission from the team as he was by the fact that hardly anybody put in a word for him at the selection committee meeting. He would also like to know the reasons for his exclusion.
Ganguly is now surprisingly calm. Not that he has many options. But the calm is an indication of his ability to stay focused on his goal and to get it.
Some of Ganguly's friends still refuse to believe that it is the end of the road for him.
"Sourav deserves a place because he still can unsettle his opponents," says former India selector Sambaran Banerjee.
There are many others like Ajit Wadekar who believe, Ganguly still has lots to contribute to Indian cricket.
Only the people at the helm of affairs -- the selectors and Team India think tank -- don't think so. Not yet.
