NEW DELHI, Nov 14: Saurav Ganguly’s hopes of making a comeback hit a roadblock over the weekend after the former Indian captain was dismissed twice without scoring in a first-class domestic match. The left-hander fell to another discard, Zaheer Khan, both times — clean bowled in the first innings and leg-before first ball in the second — during the Duleep Trophy final between East Zone and West Zone in Ahmedabad.

It was hardly the performance the selectors were expecting from Ganguly ahead of next month’s three home Tests against Sri Lanka.

Ganguly, dogged by poor form, injury and a public row with coach Greg Chappell, was axed as captain last month and replaced by Rahul Dravid for two one-day series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Dravid enhanced his claims for a longer tenure after India crushed the Sri Lankans 6-1. They start as favourites against South Africa in the five-match series which begins on Wednesday.

Ganguly, India’s most successful Test captain with 21 wins and 5,066 runs in 84 Tests behind him, was expected to return as skipper or purely as a batsman for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Chennai from December 2.

Chairman of selectors Kiran More was non-committal on Ganguly’s future.

“We have not written off Saurav or anyone else,” More said. “We are only looking at runs and wickets from the contenders and how they will contribute to the team.

“The message is loud and clear. Attitude and performance are critical.”

Ganguly received support from an unexpected quarter as former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga jumped to the left-hander’s defence.

“India must learn to respect its heroes lest they look like pirates who can only destroy a legacy,” Ranatunga wrote in his column for the Press Trust of India.

“Ganguly’s exclusion and the manner of it is unbecoming on the part of Indian cricket officialdom. Wish as anyone might, nobody can take away his record or the esteem in which he is held worldwide.—AFP