It’s a tough call, and will have to be handled with delicacy and tact. On the one hand, you cannot insult a player who has been one of the most distinguished in the annals of the game, and not give him a chance to return after recovering from injury. On the other, you cannot discourage a younger bowler who has begun his career so well. In all probability, Mishra might be sacrificed, but there is something to be said for playing five bowlers, especially since the batting has clicked so well.

A radical solution might be to drop Sourav Ganguly - after all, he is calling it a day and cannot be part of any long term planning. However, there will be a school of thought which believes that playing the extra batsman means India can sit on their lead for the remainder of the series. This is a defensive approach, and unworthy of a side that has just put the world champions in their place.

The recent Sri Lanka series will remain a blot on Kumble’s record but he could not have budgeted for the combined failures of the greatest middle order in the world. Dhoni calculated correctly, and kept himself out of that series. His time will surely come. But it is not yet.

With home series against England to follow, Kumble should be spared the crick in the neck from having to constantly look over his shoulder. This is an occupational hazard of Indian captains. In the recent past, the selectors have sometimes shown good sense by appointing a captain for the long term as they did with Rahul Dravid. Kumble too deserves such consideration. But I suspect that the remaining Tests against Australia will be seen as a trial period.

Mr Menon seems to have a soft corner for Ganguly as it is evident from 2 of his recent articles, here he advocates to drop him in Delhi and in the other one he struggles to fit him in the "Fab4or5"

I have only one thing to say, of all the seniors it's only about him we know that he's retiring for sure at the end of the series, so for God's sake, the least you can do is to keep quiet and let him play the remaining 2 matches.I am sure you can do atleast this much for India's most succesful Captain ever and India's 2nd best One-Day Batsmen.

In today's world, with the advent of different kinds of Media, it has become much more easier for every Tom, Dick and Harry to become a CRITIC and do a "TARAN ADARSH"

How can you justify dropping of your most succesful batsman just to include an out of form and not 100%fit player

Interesting view. I agree that is optimal to send off great players with in veledictory style like Steve Waugh or Alec Stewart but we're talking about the biggest series in world cricket and India are 1-0 up. Much of that credit has to go to the way Dhoni led the team and led by example. Everyone agrees Dhoni has something about him (even Hayden said so during the IPL) that makes him a once in a generation inspirational leader. He brought home the Twenty20 World Cup then led India to victory in the CB series. He has adapted his swashbuckling game and now sits no 1 in the ODI batting rankings. The way Dhoni batted at Mohali showed how he is able to adapt his game according to the needs of the game and his captaincy is imaginative and inspiring. I hope that Kumble takes stock and steps down from the captaincy. With any luck, the selectors will pick him for Delhi and he can continue playing for the rest of the series and the tests v England and have the send off he deserves

I can't believe this, you are just saying to drop someone who just hit a test century against the world champions, coming in at challenging circumstances. Unbelievable! There is something called objectivity -- In journalism it's a good thing to have.

Let's look at this thing objectively.

1. Does kumble deserve a place in the side based on his captaincy alone? NO

2. Does kumble deserve a place in the side at the expense of anyone who played in the winning game? NO, maybe, and only maybe, Laxman who'd had 2 ordinary tests. So india can play 5 bowlers (which is not at all a bad strategy in india).

3. Kumble's record in delhi is unmatched. You'll be hard pressed to sit him out based on his stats at delhi. Matches, however, are not won based on stats. But out of form or not, he is a champion bowler who is going to play at his favourite hunting ground. There is no need for defensive approach.

As far as I am concerned, only way kumble does not play is if he is not fit. Either mishra or laxman will be sacrificed. And if I were to make a decision, mishra sits this one out. Reason being, while I do not propose India be defensive in any way, I would like India to at least keep the 1 nil lead going into last test hence the extra batsman.

Mr. Menon,
I agree with you that Kumble should be the captain once he is fit. Although dhoni has proved that he can handle test captaincy(and no doubts on that), he still needs to establish himself more firmly in the test cricket. His keeping is of the highest standard but he hasn't shown the consistency in the batting that he is so good in the shorter versions. He can make people like me shut our mouths(rather keyboards) without having to deal with the burden of captaincy for sometime.
Also, with every batsman in form, it is better is the team management goes with an aggressive strategy of playing 5 bowlers. And I think Laxman can be dropped to accommodate Kumble. Laxman hasn't fared too well in this series till now. He has played a part in saving first test, but even without him, India could have saved the match(with a little more of dada's delaying tactics, isn't it aussie media?). The team should have the confidence in the batsmen.

And oh, the suggestion of dropping ganguly is ludicrous. The guy is playing in his last series, just hit a century and is obviously pumped up to go out on high note. Obviously he is not part of long term planning but he deserves his peaceful departure and its not like he is getting out making 5 or 6 runs.

Its people like you suresh that ganguly is pissed about.

I cannot agree with the writer and feel his suggestions are plain stupid. On current form, Kumble doesnt deserve a place in the side so he probably should sit out Delhi test. Ideally India would wrap up the series in Delhi and Kumble can be accomodated for the final test for a farewell appearance and gracefully retire.

I cannot agree with the writer and feel his suggestions are plain stupid. On current form, Kumble doesnt deserve a place in the side so he probably should sit out Delhi test. Ideally India would wrap up the series in Delhi and Kumble can be accomodated for the final test for a farewell appearance and gracefully retire.

Ok, let me get this correct Suresh, are you saying Sourav is not great and hence can be dropped or are you saying Sourav can be dropped because he is about to retire anyway?
In the first case, let me remind you that Sourav is as great as Kumble is in any format of the game. In the second case you should be dropping Sachin, Rahul, Anil and every other senior player becasue they are going to retire sometime next year if not this year. There needs to be snesible arguments provided, not arbit suggestions.
Plus if it is to be based on form, then I think that Anil doesnt deserve a place in the 14, let alone the 11.

Hey! You didnt publish my harmless comment on dropping Laxman, which I respectfully made as a huge Laxman fan!
Why?
Also, on Dhoni.
When Ganguly was captain, Rahul Dravid used to run up to him, participate in the discussions and contribute as vice-captain.
Ian chappel now says when Dhoni is captain, the whole team is transformed. In that case, why the heck cant Dhoni spread the same cheer when he is Vice-Captain? Isnt that part of his role as Vice? I do feel Dhoni sometimes gets away with selfish acts - like skip the tough Lanka tour, roast Dinesh and Parthiv where he should have been roasted - sutely he would have been exposed as keeper in that tour. But he cleverly avoided that. The schedule was published long back. How difficult it was to prioritise Lanka test tour over some insignifcant ODI series? Come to Bangalore test. He is pathetic as Batsman, no contribution as Vice Captain, allt he brilliant ideas that come in next test dont flow to the captain there.

An absolutely absurd article. Playing 5 bowlers is an option, YES, but at the expense of a batsman who just made a century in tough condition...is only one thing ABSURD. And that's what i think of your article Mr. Menon. (Pavan) here is right, maybe laxman could be dropped.
And your comment that ganguly is as it is retiring...so it's alright to drop him just shows how immature you are as a cricket writer. I know who should be dropped. YOU, from the cricinfo team of writers.

mr. suresh menon's articles make wonderful reading most of the time but from the constant ganguly bashing that he indulges in, it is clear that he has a very strong, pronounced anti-ganguly bias. this is not the first post in which this has come out. even the post in tehelka was of the same vein, as indeed were the ones written after ganguly announced his retirement.
it is not befitting of a website of cricinfo's stature to allow blatant bias in its articles.

suresh,are you just trying to be provocative! or are you a schizo.the arguments you put forward for retaining so flimsy.you think ganguly is not senior enough!how can you treat him with disrespect when he has annonced retirement and top it all has been performing better than kumble.i really feel it had been beneath my cricketing sense to react to such balderdash

All,
We must not lose the context here. Why we are even contemplating playing 5 bowlers - just because we have 5 who can play ? If that is so, all Especially when the captain (whoever he might be) is having a tough time keeping the 4 from the bowling crease at the moment. a fifth bowler in the side means either the first four are not your best or you concede one of them is going to fail and hence want an insurance. And if the first four are up to the mark, the fifth is going to be underbowled. Suresh Menon implies playing 5 bowlers (and dropping a batsman) would sound aggresive, is a notion taken completely out of context. Aussie side have 4 seamers, 1 half-spinner (and one part-timer who has a better best than Wanre in India)- and they were horribly out of thier depth in Mohali. by the time the fifth bowler comes into the attack the opposition is already 200/2 and flogging your best bowlers. And if you hope the fifth one is your miracle man why didn't you bowl him in the first place

All,
We must not lose the context here. Why we are even contemplating playing 5 bowlers - just because we have 5 who can play ? Especially when the captain (whoever he might be) is having a tough time keeping the 4 from the bowling crease at the moment. a fifth bowler in the side means either the first four are not your best or you concede one of them is going to fail and hence want an insurance. And if the first four are up to the mark, the fifth is going to be underbowled. Suresh Menon implies playing 5 bowlers (and dropping a batsman) would sound aggresive - it is a notion taken completely out of context. Aussie side have 4 seamers, 1 half-spinner (and one part-timer who has a better best than Wanre in India)- and they were horribly out of thier depth in Mohali. by the time the fifth bowler comes into the attack the opposition is already 200/2 and flogging your best bowlers. And if you hope the fifth one is your miracle man why didn't you bowl him in the first place?

At last, a sensible and spot on write-up regarding the captaincy debate (if we can call it that) thats going on now. I fully agree with Suresh Menon on this. Kumble is the Captain and should return as the Captain and should also be given a free hand and a longer term (And the chance to fail, if one is so particular to use that phrase)

As rightly said Dhoni's time will (read should) come. Because it depends on him if he would still be in contetion for the top job at that time or go the Sehwag way. Not long ago Sehwag was a captain-in-waiting. Now it seems like his chance may have come & gone forever. Thats why we should never judge anyone short-term. Kumble got it after years of proving himself & deserves it fully.

And for the gentleman who wrote :
"Does kumble deserve a place in the side based on his captaincy alone? NO" ... I'm not trying to argue, but no one deserves a spot just for Captaincy alone. Perhaps that's one more case in point why Dhoni's time hasn't come yet !!

Definitely Kumble should play as a bowler. But make Dhoni the permanent captain. I think this has been a seamless transition from Kumble to Dhoni, as it should have been. Dhoni is a much better captain than Kumble, because he has a cool head and does not let the game drift. Doesn't matter what the result is: Dhoni just seems to have a better approach than Kumble. Which is fair enough: not every great player can be a good captain. Kumble walks into the team on the basis of his record as a bowler, of course.

Mr Menon I find it appaling to the point of being absurd that you can so easily let it slip that Sourav Ganguly should be dropped as a 'radical solution'. Just the paragraph before you put forward the argument that a senior player of Anil Kumble's calibre should be handled properly and not ill-treated. Well said and I could not agree more. But why the different yardstick for Sourav. He has just scored a century and has been India's most consistent batsman this series like he has been since December 2006. Kindly get out of this blatantly ani-Ganguly mindset and try to judge things with some neutral view point. You had no qualms putting up a quick post as soon as a newspaper attributed alarming quotes to Sourav and subsequently you do not even have the decency to apologise when such speculation is refuted by Sourav. Please try to have a uniform yardstick for players. Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly should not and cannot have seperate measuring units. Get some perspective please. Thank you

A rather half-baked and poor article by a someone who usually pens much better stuff.

I really feel sad when a cricket writer like Suresh writes such things about Ganguly. I will not be as harsh in words as some of the other commenters here but I am equally shocked at this write-up. I mean Ganguly is one of the greatest batsman of India, already faced the political decisions of the selectors wants to quite peacefully. Even that peace is being taken away by such articles. No wonder Ganguly is dis-heartened! An eqaully great player in Kumble but different measurement sticks. I hope Suresh you are not a 'Ganguly-hater', if so, it's still your personal choice and you have all the rights in the world.
But, I agree with you point on Kumble retained as a captain. Kumble has been the un-sung hero of Indian cricket. He is a great champion and will not become a bad player after one poor series. The same Kumble was sent as captain to a tough Australian tour (where selectors did not want young Dhoni to be targeted, as the aussies do) and he came out with flying colors...

Mr. Menon,

Judging by the stark response you have received by the readers of your blog, I would say you ought to come out and "explain" your comments on Sourav Ganguly, if not apologize for your careless observations.
We don't intend to keep reading junk articles on cricinfo. So, be a good journalist and defend your comments please. You owe your readers that much.

"veterans must be given a chance to fail, and Kumble has not failed."
You better be laughing when you say that. He's failed as a bowler all of this year. Take a look at how many top order wickets he has taken in 2008. And as a captain, he's been far too mediocre. Both Ponting and Jayawardene were better than him. He was foolish enough to accept Ponting's catching agreement in Australia, never learnt how to use the referral system in SL, and doesn't have much tactical nous.

He's a man of honor who has served tirelessly and commands respect of those around him. And he should be treated as such. But that doesn't mean he has to be captain when there's clearly a better choice.

I think Kumble will announce his retirement in a couple of days-the gentleman cricketer that he is.

Why on earth a 5 bowler theory ? Just to get Kumble into the team ? Otherwise why would the team, which nearly lost the first test match due to batting failure and got 20 Australian wickets in under 180 overs would ever think of including a 5th bowler ? I think part of the problem associated with Indian journalists is that most of them have got into a particular lobby. Those close to Bangaloreans (Dravid & Kumble) are anti-Ganguly just like Harsha Bhogle can't think beyond Sachin Tendulkar. I think it would be better for the so called journalists to add a bit more professionalism in their profession.

The second day's play in the Delhi test showed why Kumble must definitely NOT be captain. The declaration should've come atleast half an hour before it actually did; in the final analysis of the match, it might not matter much but the difference in approach with Dhoni is glaring. Let Dhoni be captain, let's play bold, attacking cricket, always putting the team's needs in front instead of looking out for personal milestones. The only positive is, Kumble is better than past captains like Gavaskar, who might've waited till tea on the third day to declare or maybe not even then (the thinking being, since India is 1-0 up, let's try and hold on to the lead and draw the remaining games).

This is Dhoni's time, let's get rid of our typically regressive mentality first before we shoot our mouths off about being the "next #1 team in the world".

See the results.
With Kumble Captaincy 2 draws.[One we were save By Overs Lost Due to light while other was Even]

With Dhoni 2 Wins against the best team of the world.[One was record and other one also a comfortable]
[Now Get Rid of Dravid if We have to Continue Winning and Include Rohit and Yuvraj]