NEW DELHI, Nov 26: India captain Saurav Ganguly has won his appeal against a two-match ban after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled in his favour, the Indian cricket board said on Friday.

"ICC adjudicator Tim Castle's decision rules in Saurav's favour. The two-Test ban has been quashed," the Indian board secretary Karunakaran Nair said on Friday. "It is a 34-page report we've just received. We have to see if there is any other penalty or fine imposed. But he will lead the side in the second Test," he added.

Ganguly was handed the ban by match referee Clive Lloyd for his team's slow over rate during a one-day defeat against Pakistan on November 13 at Eden Gardens. But he played in the drawn first test against South Africa in Kanpur because his appeal could not be heard on time. The second and final test starts in Calcutta on Sunday.

The player had been optimistic after his three-hour teleconference with Castle, a New Zealand lawyer, on Thursday. The 32-year-old batsman had just returned to the side after missing the last two tests of the home series defeat against Australia due to a groin injury. -Reuters